Matthew Laubscher’s Post

Not every star performer dreams of managing a team. Or some think they want to manage people until they actually do it and realize they don’t like it or aren’t as good at it. That's not just okay – it's something we should embrace and provide pathways for. Because being "senior" doesn't mean having reports under you. It means owning bigger responsibilities and driving significant impact. Period. So in order to retain and nurture your top performers, you need to create two different career paths. The Manager Track is for those who genuinely want to lead teams and develop others. The Individual Contributor (IC) Track is for those who want to dive deep into their craft and take on increasingly complex projects. One shouldn’t be portrayed as better than the other, and each should come with increasing influence and compensation. You can’t force square pegs into round holes. Instead, create an environment where both managers and high-performing ICs can thrive and grow. Both are necessary for a winning team.

This is spot on. Compensation is a big part of the dynamic here. Smart, driven, goal-oriented people respond to the incentive system they operate in. In my time at Microsoft (2001-2013), there was no differentiation in comp between managers and ICs, Further, it was not uncommon at all for managers to manage ICs with (much) higher compensation. This was a healthy dynamic. Great ICs didn't feel pressured into become bad managers. The IC career path was developed all the way to the VP level. Managers were frequently rewarded for getting more done with fewer people. In my time at Amazon (2022-2023) it was literally the opposite. Mangers at the same level received more compensation, there were soft HR rules to ensure that managers were the highest paid person in the hierarchy, the number of people that one managed is the most critical factor in promotions, and IC career paths generally dead ended at 7 (except for PEs). The result was a deep and highly political bureaucracy that Amazon is now trying to unwind. And this isn't a critique of the people at Amazon, the system works how the system works, smart people adapt and act accordingly. It's systemic problem that is a massive distraction to building great products and thus counter-productive to the business. Nor is this to say everything was great about Microsoft’s comp system. It, predictably, drove highly indivualistic behaviors that didn’t exactly incentivize making others great.

What makes a great COO? After speaking to many COOs at fast-growing companies, I get the sense that their role is a lot more strategic than the title implies. From strategic planning to biz dev, org design, to strategic partnerships just to name a few. Thoughts?

THINK BEFORE HIRING.🤔 Don’t hire, when you can promote. Here are 5 signs your team is ready for leadership: • They solve problems without asking for help. • They support others in achieving their goals. • They take initiative, without waiting for direction. • They own their mistakes quickly and fix them. • They improve processes without being told to. Promoting from within strengthens your team. It builds loyalty, increases productivity, and saves you time. Hiring externally isn’t always the answer. Your next leader could already be on your team. Again Think before hiring 👍

I used to believe that the secret to building a successful team was hiring people who were just like me 🤦♀️ (What I learned the hard way: “The key to great leadership isn’t about replicating yourself; it’s about hiring for diverse strengths and perspectives.”) When I focused on finding clones of myself, I ended up stifling creativity and missing out on the unique talents that drive true success It wasn’t until I started hiring people with varied skills and viewpoints that our team began to truly thrive The breakthrough moment? Realizing that success isn’t about creating a team of mini-me’s. It’s about bringing together individuals who complement each other’s skills and offer diverse perspectives When I embraced this approach, I saw our team’s creativity soar, problem-solving improve, and overall performance reach new heights By valuing each person’s unique strengths, we unlocked our collective potential and achieved results we hadn’t thought possible So, when hiring for your team, remember: true success comes from embracing a range of talents and perspectives not from filling roles with reflections of yourself ___________ ✨ I help new leaders ditch the overwhelm and show up authentically 🔗 Feeling like you’re navigating leadership solo? Book an appointment or DM me, and let’s make sure you don’t have to do this alone!

Dear the Strategy Director that was bought in as the first strategic hire. I know how hard it is to override old ways of doing things. It’s frustrating to get the team on board when this is new for everyone. But, remember your value. There’s a reason you were hired.  Your achievements speak volumes. Your case studies prove your expertise. The founders may have led strategy until now, but this is your specialty.  Your presence isn’t just about filling a role; it’s about building something lasting. This is your chance to shape the offering.  Build brands from the ground up, plan for the future, connect to consumers. Without strong strategy, even the best creative can fall short. You’ll galvanise the team and changes will be noticed. Your work is already sparking change, trust that the results will follow.

-- Hiring the Right Team-- The success of a new venture hinges on assembling the right team. When launching, focus on hiring resources who are not only skilled but also share your vision and adaptability. Look at companies like Netflix and Square, which built strong foundations by bringing in talent aligned with their innovative goals. Effective hiring means finding individuals who can turn a shared vision into reality and drive your business forward from day one. #StartupSuccess #Leadership #HiringRight #BusinessGrowth

The number one question anyone should ask themselves when considering trying to nudge their organization to a better place is whether there's any evidence of continuous improvement. Has your company exhibited *any* ability to change holistically without a major re-org, hiring/firing, a layoff, etc. Do you have *any* evidence that things get better over time? How exactly does that change happen? Who initiates it? Who has to decide and bless it? If leaders in your company imagine that any improvement is a function of hiring/firing and disruptive re-orgs, then it is highly unlikely that an organic bottoms-up effort will pick up steam. If the only things that have worked have been top-down blessed and piggy back on one leader getting the credit, then there's not much you can do. But if there are examples of things improving—a muscle for improvement—you could have a shot at starting a groundswell. tl;dr ... look for the evidence in front of you. Try to suspend picking a strategy until you face the (sometimes harsh) reality of how change happens in your company.

Have you ever worked for a bad leader? Have you ever left a job because of a bad leader? I don’t know about you, but I certainly have — at least once or twice in my lifetime, maybe even more. You see, the door swings both ways. All organizations — especially the larger ones — always have a huge influx of new employees and an outflow of former employees. Some people come through the organization's door because they resonate with the company's vision and values; they believe it’s a great place to grow, appreciate its benefits, or simply need some income. There are almost as many reasons for joining a company as there are people who apply. However, when people exit through that same door, chances are that most of them have one thing in common. Read More: https://bit.ly/3UZupRd

Your responsibility as a boss is to make sure it gets done, NOT to do it. I see this with people all the time. I meet people who are managers or owners of business and they don't understand this concept. I had a client who had a ROCKSTAR manager. This person was just a superstar. He was managing a team of 3 people and a different dept manager left and his boss felt it was a no brainer to promote this individual to this new role. It was a significant promotion. This person would now be managing 10 people and it came with significant additional responsibilities. Unfortunately, what was learned was he had no ability to delegate. Long story short it was a disaster on many levels. Many times people feel that if you want something done right, do it yourself. That is the answer If you think small And Want to stay small If you have visions of growth, And The sky is your limit, Surround yourself with talent. Trust them And fly together.