170: "What Changes When You Start Leading Leaders?" ft. Alli Murphy

Erik and Alli compare notes on what goes wrong when high-performing leaders move from managing individual contributors to leading leaders. They highlight recurring gaps, including losing ground-level visibility, suddenly being expected to influence strategy at higher levels, and struggling to develop and communicate effectively with the leaders beneath you.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• The IC to people-manager transition often isn’t taught, so the “leader of leaders” shift compounds the learning-by-trial-and-error problem.
• A common trap is staying in the weeds and trying to personally verify what’s happening below, rather than building systems to keep you connected without micromanaging.
• New leadership layers add boardroom dynamics: you’re expected to influence peers and strategy, not just execute plans handed to you.
• When people are promoted over peers, they can develop a “prove I earned this” posture and also face more incomplete-information and uncertainty.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Leaders of leaders need leverage, not more hands-on work: the goal is to stay informed via systems and influence rather than re-owning problems.
• Strategy competence becomes an operational skill. You need time to understand what senior leadership cares about so you can connect that to execution.
• Communication and development channels often break when you lose direct visibility. You need a clearer framework for discussing performance and coaching needs with the leaders under you.
• Delegation and coaching are the foundational multiplier. If you get it right at the IC level, you can teach it downward through your leadership layer.

❓ Questions That Mattered

• What common gaps show up when people move from leading ICs to leading leaders without being supported through the transition?
• How should new leaders adjust when they no longer have ground-level visibility but are still accountable for outcomes?
• What changes when you enter boardroom and peer-influence dynamics rather than only executing strategy?
• Which single competency would you bet on for someone preparing for the “uncharted water” of leading leaders?

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• “their job is not therapist.”
• “Sometimes there isn't one.”
• “learn how to delegate well and actually coach people.”
• “that game of incomplete information is often new when you move into this lead leaders role”

🔗 Links & Resources

• Listen To Other Episodes Co-Hosted With Alli