Your Great Manager Will Eventually Leave You

Even when a highly capable and supportive engineering manager is found, the relationship often has a built-in expiration date. This video explains why strong EMs tend to move up quickly and what that means for their reports. Here are the core points from the lesson:

• Great EMs focus on long-term growth: A strong manager prioritizes their engineers' success, fostering an environment that supports both team and individual development.
• Fast career growth is common for top EMs: Exceptional managers are often promoted quickly, typically within 1–2 years, due to their high impact and leadership abilities.
• Promotion changes reporting structure: When promoted to senior engineering manager, EMs typically move from directly managing engineers to managing other managers, altering team dynamics.
• ICs often lose direct access: Most engineers will start reporting to a new manager, while their original EM becomes a “skip-level” manager—only senior ICs may continue reporting directly.
• Disruption of strong relationships: The transition can be disheartening for ICs who thrived under the original EM, especially when that connection was key to their growth.