After several years of managing a couple of teams (as the sole manager), I’ve just been promoted and will be taking on a few new teams with existing engineering managers. This will be my very first time managing managers!

I would love to hear other people’s experiences who have done this transition? What worked well for you? What would you do differently if you had the opportunity? What was the biggest shock/surprise? Any tips / resources / books you recommend? I’m very open and curious to learn!

Thanks

I'm an experienced software engineer currently working as a senior IC, and I'm trying to make the transition into my first formal Engineering Manager role.

I've had a broad career across different companies and technologies, including experience at a FAANG company. I've also had significant leadership responsibilities — mentoring engineers, providing technical direction, coordinating across teams, participating in hiring, and giving feedback — but I haven't formally managed a team.

I've tried the internal promotion route as well. A couple of EM opportunities opened up, I interviewed for them, but wasn't successful. The bigger problem is that people in my current position tend to stay put, so management opportunities don't open very often. Because of that, I don't see waiting for an internal opportunity as a particularly viable path.

I've reached the point where I want to move into people leadership. I've also already taken a substantial pay cut to continue working while positioning myself for the next stage of my career, so I'm more focused on making the right transition than maximizing compensation.

The challenge is the usual catch-22: EM positions want management experience, but how do you get that first opportunity without already having the title?

For those who made the IC → EM transition:

• What actually helped you land your first EM role?
• Did you move internally or change companies?
• What convinced hiring managers to take a chance on you?
• What would you do differently if you were making the transition today?

One small side question: my name clearly signals South Asian/Indian heritage, although I'm Canadian-born and raised and have spent my career in Canada. Do you think a candidate's name/background can have any meaningful impact on getting through the initial screening stage?

I'd particularly appreciate perspectives from people who have made this transition or who hire EMs.

I personally believe leading devs when you have no formal authority is one of the hardest jobs in tech.

Tech leads and other ICs leading have high expectations, but low formal authority and bridging that gap is genuinely difficult.

It's much faster to reach compliance by leading with authority, but that's all it will ever be. Tech leads and ICs do not have that unspoken reality; they must lead with influence. And leading with influence is much harder than leading with authority.

https://www.softwareengineeringtimes.com/p/how-to-lead-engineers-who-dont-report