Dave Kline

How to Win with Any Boss

Stop fighting their style.

Start speaking their language.

Marsden Kline's carousel gives us the playbook.

7 types of managers and how to manage them:

1️⃣ The Relentless Micromanager
❌ Don't: Push back on their need for control
✅ Do: Beat them to the update; share before they ask

2️⃣ The Volatile Visionary
❌ Don't: Lead with obstacles and constraints
✅ Do: Start with the dream, then build the bridge there

3️⃣ The Hands-Off Auto-Pilot
❌ Don't: Wait for direction or feedback
✅ Do: Propose the structure they won't provide

4️⃣ The Data-Driven Scientist
❌ Don't: Lead with gut feeling or assumptions
✅ Do: Anchor yourself with evidence and specifics

5️⃣ The Overwhelmed Plate-Spinner
❌ Don't: Add open threads to their mental load
✅ Do: Be their explicit editor and precise problem solver

6️⃣ The Disconnected Diva
❌ Don't: Hope they'll spot operational issues
✅ Do: Connect your daily wins to their bigger picture

7️⃣ The Political Player
❌ Don't: Ignore the stakeholder landscape
✅ Do: Package solutions that help multiple parties win

Remember:

Your boss isn't changing,
But your approach can.

Success isn't about being right.

It's about being effective.

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Your words don't make you a leader.

How you treat your team does.

While most chase authority.
Few master influence.

The 7 quiet acts that separate elite leaders:

1️⃣ They own shadows, share spotlights
• Take blame instantly
• Give credit relentlessly
• Never split the difference

2️⃣ They decode their people
• Track invisible wins
• Bank personal truths
• Leverage key moments

3️⃣ They build trust mathematically
• Promise less, deliver more
• Create predictable results
• Stack small wins daily

4️⃣ They make truth their leverage
• Speak with precision
• Address issues proactively
• Choose clarity over comfort

5️⃣ They turn problems into paths
• Invite collective solving
• See opportunities others miss
• Make challenges shared missions

6️⃣ They master micro-moments
• Use names purposefully
• Create connection daily
• Acknowledge effort specifically

7️⃣ They plant seeds silently
• Write notes no one sees
• Recommend others unprompted
• Build reputations behind backs

The reality?
Power moves aren't loud.
They're consistent.

Titles fade.
The impact you leave doesn’t.

Image credit to Chris Donnelly.

Which move will you start with today?

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The hardest lesson for new managers is learning:

“What got you here won't get you there.“

You were promoted for your expertise.
Now, you need to develop your team's capabilities.

You were promoted for your output.
Now, you need to orchestrate a team to deliver.

You were promoted for your effort.
Now, you need to learn to do more with less.

Look back on the leaders who helped you succeed.

- They always gave you the credit and occasionally took the blame
- They set high standards and showed you how to clear them
- They believed in you before you believed in yourself

Be that leader. And your success will be inevitable.

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9 Signs Your Team Might Be Toxic

(And why it's costing you more than you think)

No team is perfect.

But there's a critical difference between:
Temporary Discomfort and Permanent Dysfunction.

The ❌'s reveal the hidden damage.
The ✅'s show you what excellence looks like.

The more signs you recognize,
The faster you need to move.

Good People Leave
❌ Top talent exits, replaced by whoever's available
✅ A-players attract and develop other A-players

Mediocre People Stay
❌ Mediocrity becomes the unspoken standard
✅ Excellence is expected, rewarded, and replicated

Conflict Never Gets Fully Resolved
❌ Tension festers until it eventually explodes
✅ Issues are addressed openly, directly, and completely

The War Inside Our Walls
❌ Teams battle each other instead of real problems
✅ United focus on external enemies and opportunities

Decisions Get Made and Unmade
❌ Progress dies in endless loops of revisiting choices
✅ Decisions stick, with clear ownership and execution

Questions Are Met With Silence
❌ Knowledge becomes a tool for power and control
✅ Information flows freely, elevating everyone's game

Feedback is Nonexistent
❌ People operate blindly, uncertain of their standing
✅ Regular, honest feedback drives growth and alignment

Tomorrow Never Comes
❌ Hope remains an empty promise that never delivers
✅ Today's actions create tomorrow's breakthroughs

Success Is Accidental
❌ Wins are diminished, excellence threatens the hierarchy
✅ Success is studied, celebrated, and systematized

If you're quietly tolerating a toxic team,
You're slowly becoming part of the problem.

You either shape your environment or it shapes you.
Choose to be the catalyst, not the casualty.

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