Scaling yourself up and down

A few months into my latest professional home, transitioning industries (healthcare to ed-tech) and organization lifecycle (Series A and D startups to post-IPO medium tech org) the topic of coaching and team leadership has been on my mind. This framework of scaling yourself up and down, based on organizational needs, has stuck with me and I’ve been experiencing it first hand over the last few years and across different company cultures.

Startups require a combination of “I do X and I build teams that do X,” while more mature orgs require leaders to transition from, “I do X to I build teams that do X.” Scaling impact in a more mature org happens mostly through vision, mission and inspiration. As a coach, the most impactful thing I can provide is a clear vision, aligning the strengths and values of my teams with our mission, and inspiration to unblock them when we inevitably run into obstacles.

Among other things, this requires deeply understanding where the team is and where we need to go. And then managing their “energy” to grow smoothly without burning out or getting bored. Especially in high talent density teams, like Duolingo , this is where good leadership can truly make a difference. Good coaches can also dive into the details when necessary. You have to use good judgment and intuition to know which layer of abstraction your team needs and when. Sometimes diving into the details is the right thing to do.

As I move into (wince) my mid-career years, this transition to coaching and leadership is helping me find pleasure and excitement about work in a different way. Instead of individual accomplishment, I’m motivated by unlocking the potential in the teams and colleagues I work with. It is not hands-on-keyboard work. But it is a good antidote to the general burnout and malaise I see settling in for many of my mid-career peers.