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New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics
New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics
Lucas and Luna explore the first 90 days of a new manager, from navigating the transition from peer to boss to building credibility without authority. Each episode examines a specific management challenge using real cases: how a tech lead at Spotify handled team pushback on code reviews, why a retail store manager at Patagonia reversed a 15% turnover by changing one-on-one meeting structure, and what data from Gallup's 2023 manager engagement survey reveals about the most common mistakes new leaders make. Lucas brings the research and frameworks — the Gartner manager readiness model, the 30-60-90 day templates from Harvard Business Review, and compensation data from Payscale — while Luna tests them against her own experience managing a marketing team and pushes for the messy human decisions behind the charts. They don't prescribe a single playbook; instead, they argue about when to impose structure and when to let norms emerge, how to handle a former peer who now resists direction, and what to do when your first hire quits in week six.
Episodes
Why New Managers Fail The First One On One
Most new managers treat their first one-on-one meetings as status updates, which is a fundamental mistake that kills trust before it starts. In this episode, we break down why the initial conversation with direct reports should be entirely about them, not you. We look at how top performers like those at Adobe shifted from transactional check-ins to developmental dialogues, and why asking 'what do
The Invisible Tax of New Manager Promotions
Promoting your top performer often backfires because the skills that made them great at execution are exactly what they lack in leadership. We examine the structural mismatch between individual contributor excellence and team management, using concrete examples from tech and finance sectors to show why the best salesperson or coder rarely makes the best manager without deliberate retraining. This
How New Managers Set Boundaries With Former Peers
When you get promoted to manage your old team, the social contract changes overnight. This episode explores the specific friction of shifting from equal contributor to decision-maker, focusing on how to handle casual conversations that turn into informal appeals for favors. We look at why maintaining strict professional boundaries isn't about being cold, but about preserving fairness and preventin
The Silent Cost of Promoting Your Best Peer
When you promote your best colleague, you don't just change their title. You fundamentally alter the power dynamic between you two, often creating a silent resentment that kills productivity before anyone speaks up. This episode explores why the 'best peer' is frequently the worst first promotion candidate for a new manager, using the specific example of a software team lead who lost her top engin
The Hidden Cost of Your First Promotion
When you get promoted, your old team doesn't just lose a peer; they lose the person who understood their daily grind. This episode explores the 'empathy gap' that opens between new managers and their former colleagues. We look at why former peers often resent the promotion more than outsiders do, and how to bridge that gap without becoming a pushover. Using specific examples from mid-sized tech fi
Leading Your Old Team Without Losing Yourself
Promoting your best engineer to manager is a classic career move that often backfires because the skill set required for individual contribution is fundamentally different from leading people. This episode examines the specific friction of managing former peers, focusing on the 'shadow authority' problem where old habits die hard and the new manager struggles to shift from collaborative peer to de
The Hidden Cost of Promoting Your Best Salesperson
We talk about the specific trap of promoting top individual contributors into management roles where they lack the necessary soft skills. Using data from a major consulting firm, we explore why high performers often fail as leaders and what new managers can do to avoid this common pitfall. We discuss real-world examples from tech companies and how to identify if you are ready for that leap.
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How To Manage Your Former Peers Without Losing Friends
When you are promoted from peer to manager, the power dynamic shifts overnight. This episode examines the specific friction points of managing former colleagues, focusing on the 'friendship tax' and the awkwardness of giving feedback to people who know your bad habits. We break down how to establish new boundaries without becoming cold or distant, using concrete examples from mid-level management
How New Managers Fix Broken Team Dynamics
Lucas and Luna explore the hidden cost of team dysfunction for new managers, focusing on the specific moment when a manager realizes their team is competing against itself rather than the market. They examine how to diagnose root causes like unclear decision rights and misaligned incentives, using a concrete example of a product launch that failed due to internal friction. The episode offers a pra
The First 90 Days Of Leading Your Own Team
Lucas and Luna explore the critical first ninety days of a new management role, focusing on how to establish credibility without alienating former peers. They discuss the 'listen-first' strategy used by successful leaders at major firms like Microsoft and Unilever to build trust before making structural changes. The episode highlights specific actions for week one through week twelve, emphasizing
The Trap of Promoting Your Best Individual Contributor
We talk about the silent tax of new manager promotions, specifically the identity crisis that hits when your best player becomes your boss. Lucas and Luna break down why technical excellence doesn't translate to leadership, using the example of a senior engineer who gets promoted but loses their edge because they can no longer code. We explore how to set boundaries with your old team and avoid mic
The Silent Tax of New Manager Promotions
When a top individual contributor gets promoted, the team often loses more than just their output. This episode examines the hidden economic cost of that transition—specifically the 'productivity dip' that can last six to nine months. We look at how new managers struggle with delegation, leading to bottlenecks and burnout among remaining peers. Using data from internal productivity metrics and beh
The First Meeting That Defines Your New Role
Most new managers spend their first month hiring, training, and fixing processes. But the single most important hour of your tenure happens before any of that: the one-on-one with your boss. In this episode, we break down the structure of that critical conversation. We discuss why vague expectations lead to silent failure, how to negotiate resource allocation without sounding demanding, and the sp
Why Your Best Hire Is Failing As A Manager
We examine the structural failure behind promoting high-performing individual contributors into management roles. Using a specific case of a top salesperson who became a bottleneck, we explore why technical excellence does not translate to leadership. The conversation focuses on the seven-week window where most new managers lose their team's trust, and how to recognize when you are still working a
The Manager Who Never Meets Their Team
Remote work has rewritten the rules of management, but most new leaders still try to manage by proximity. This episode explores why visibility is no longer a proxy for value and how high-performing teams operate on output rather than attendance. We look at the specific mechanics of asynchronous communication, the danger of 'digital presenteeism,' and a practical framework for building trust when y
The Silent Tax of New Manager Promotions
When you promote your best individual contributor, you don't just lose a star player; you inherit the 'silent tax' of their old workflow. This episode examines the specific operational debt that accumulates when high performers are moved into management without explicit process handoffs. We look at why new managers often spend their first three months firefighting problems their predecessors creat
How to Delegate Without Losing Control
Most new managers fail not because they lack skill, but because they cannot let go. In this episode of New Manager Conversations, we examine why high-performing individual contributors struggle to transition into leadership roles. We look at the specific mechanics of delegation, using a case study from a mid-sized software firm where a lead engineer tried to micromanage every line of code after pr
How to Lead When Your Team Outsmarts You
Promoted from the ranks often leaves managers feeling like impostors when their former peers outshine them in expertise. We examine why technical superiority no longer guarantees leadership success, using the case of a senior engineer promoted to team lead who struggled with decision paralysis. Lucas and Luna break down the shift from being the smartest person in the room to being the architect of
The Identity Crisis of New Managers
Most new managers struggle not with skills, but with identity. We explore the psychological shift from being a 'doer' to being an 'enabler', using the concept of the 'individual contributor trap'. When you promote your best player, they often lose their sense of self-worth because they can no longer solve problems directly. This episode examines how to rebuild professional identity around team out
The Trap of Promoting Your Best Individual Contributor
Promoting your top performer often breaks both the employee and the team. This episode dissects why technical excellence does not translate to management success, using real-world data on turnover rates in high-performing teams. We explore the 'player-coach' compromise, how to identify potential leaders before they hit the wall, and what to do when a star player simply doesn't want to manage. Luca
How New Managers Can Avoid Micromanaging Their Old Team
New managers often fall into micromanaging their former peers without realizing it. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore why the urge to control is so strong after promotion, how it quietly erodes trust, and what to do instead. They break down the shift from being the person who does the work to the person who sets the conditions for others to do it, using a concrete example from a retail distr
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Also a Mentor
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky situation for new managers: when the person who used to mentor you is now your direct report. They explore the emotional and practical challenges, from role reversal to power dynamics, and offer concrete strategies for setting boundaries, building trust, and maintaining a productive relationship. Using a real-world example of a marketing team at a mi
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Also a Star Performer
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna explore a tricky leadership puzzle: what to do when your best performer becomes a management challenge. They dig into a real case—a senior engineer who delivers exceptional work but refuses to document anything—and walk through practical steps like reframing the conversation around impact, leveraging peer pressure, and setting clear expe
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is a Friend
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a delicate scenario many first-time managers face: managing a direct report who is also a close friend. They explore the tension between friendship and managerial duty, drawing on the concept of role boundaries and the 'dual relationship' challenge. Lucas shares a framework for setting expectations without destroying the friendshi
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Also a Mentor
When you're promoted and suddenly managing someone who once mentored you, the power dynamic flips — and it's awkward. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore what it really takes to lead a former mentor with grace and authority. They break down a real-world scenario: a new manager who now oversees the person who taught them the ropes. You'll learn how to acknowledge the history without being paral
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Takes Credit
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a classic first-time leader headache: a direct report who takes credit for team wins. They open with a specific, all-too-familiar scene from a marketing team at a midsize software company, then dig into why this behavior happens — from pure ambition to a manager's own silence. They walk through a practical three-step response: ver
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Also a Friend
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest transitions in a new manager's career: managing someone who used to be a peer — and a friend. They explore the real-world tension between preserving the friendship and establishing authority, using a concrete example of a new manager at a mid-sized tech firm who found herself supervising her close
How New Managers Can Give Effective Recognition
New managers often fumble recognition—either overdoing it with generic praise or neglecting it entirely. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the science and practice of meaningful recognition, using a real-world example from a mid-sized tech firm where a simple change in how a manager delivered feedback transformed team morale. They discuss the difference between praise and recognition, why sp
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Asks for Too Much Help
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a common but rarely discussed challenge for new managers: the direct report who asks for help on every task, eroding your time and stalling their own growth. They break down why this pattern often emerges after a promotion — when the manager's old peer role shifts to a coaching one — and how to avoid the 'answer-first' trap. Using a concrete example of a team
How New Managers Can Set Boundaries With Their Old Team
Promoted to manager and now leading the people you used to grab lunch with? In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the uncomfortable transition of managing former peers. They break down the 'friendship boundary' problem with a concrete framework — the 'three conversations' — and walk through a real story of a new manager at a mid-sized SaaS company who had to enforce a tough deadline on a close
How New Managers Can Give Tough Feedback
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle the hardest part of leadership: delivering tough feedback. They break down a real scenario—a new manager about to have a difficult conversation with a direct report who keeps missing deadlines—and walk through the preparation, the conversation itself, and the follow-up. You'll learn why the SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact)
How New Managers Can Handle Direct Reports Who Overcommunicate
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a challenge every new manager faces at some point: the direct report who overcommunicates. From constant status updates to CC-ing everyone on every email, this behavior can drain your time and test your patience—but it's often a sign of anxiety, not incompetence. Lucas breaks down the psychology behind overcommunication, shares a real-world example of a produ
Handling a Direct Report Who Cries at Work
New managers often freeze when a direct report gets emotional in a one-on-one. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down why tears happen in the workplace, what the research says about emotional displays and performance, and a practical three-step approach to stay calm, show empathy, and keep the conversation productive. They walk through a real scenario involving a missed deadline and a teary ap
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is a Friend
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky new-manager dilemma: what happens when a close friend becomes a direct report. Using the story of Maya, a first-time engineering manager at a mid-sized SaaS company, they walk through the uncomfortable first week, the awkward one-on-one, the performance review that could sink the friendship, and the promotion conversation that changes everything. Luc
How New Managers Can Navigate the First 90 Days
Stepping into your first management role is equal parts exciting and terrifying. In episode 162 of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna break down the critical first 90 days, focusing on a specific challenge that many new managers face: managing former peers. They discuss how to establish authority without damaging relationships, the importance of setting clear expectations early, and practic
How New Managers Can Master the Art of Saying No
New managers often struggle to say no without damaging relationships. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the art of strategic refusal, using the example of a product manager who turned down a high-profile project to protect her team's focus. They discuss practical scripts for declining requests, the importance of offering alternatives, and how to align refusals with team goals. Tune in to lea
How New Managers Can Run Their First One-on-One
Stepping into management for the first time, the weekly one-on-one is your highest-leverage meeting. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down what actually happens inside a great first one-on-one: how long it should be, who sets the agenda, and why silence can be the most productive part of the conversation. They walk through a real example from a new manager at a mid-sized software company and
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Resists Change
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a common but under-discussed challenge: what to do when a seasoned direct report pushes back on new processes or strategic shifts. Using the example of a product manager who refuses to move from waterfall to agile, they break down the difference between healthy skepticism and stubborn resistance, and share a three-step framework f
How New Managers Can Handle the Pressure to Be Perfect
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a pressure every new manager knows but few talk about: the feeling that every decision has to be right, every conversation flawless, every outcome perfect. They dig into why perfectionism spikes in the first 90 days, how it shows up in over-checking work, avoiding hard calls, and burning out on self-criticism. They talk through a
How New Managers Can Run a Great Skip-Level Meeting
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a skill most first-time managers never get taught: the skip-level meeting. They break down why meeting with your boss's boss feels awkward, how to prepare so it doesn't turn into a status update, and the three questions that actually surface useful information. Lucas shares a framework from a former engineering lead at a mid-sized
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Overqualified
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky leadership scenario: managing a direct report who is overqualified for their role. Using the example of a senior engineer who took a step back for work-life balance, they explore why overqualified reports are often misread as disengaged or unmotivated. The hosts break down the signs that an overqualified repo
How New Managers Can Delegate Without Losing Control
Delegation is the hardest skill for new managers. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down why new managers hoard tasks, how to shift from 'doing' to 'orchestrating', and the concrete framework that turns delegation from a trust exercise into a leadership tool. Using the story of a first-time manager who nearly burned out trying to do everything herself, they walk through the 'three-level test'
How New Managers Can Handle a Direct Report Who Is Underperforming
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a tough situation every new manager eventually faces: a direct report who is underperforming. They walk through a concrete framework for diagnosing whether it's a skill issue or a will issue, using the example of a product manager who missed three consecutive deadlines. They discuss how to have honest, data-backed conversations without crushing morale, how to
How New Managers Can Manage a Direct Report Who Wants Their Job
In episode 153 of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest situations a new manager can face: a direct report who openly or quietly wants your job. Using a real-world example from a mid-sized tech company, they break down how to spot the signs, why this dynamic is more common than you think, and a three-step framework for turning ambition from a threat into an asset. T
How New Managers Can Rebuild Trust After a Mistake
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore what happens when a new manager makes a visible mistake—an errant email, a blown budget, a botched decision—and how to rebuild trust with their team and their own boss. Using the example of a first-time manager at a regional bank who accidentally shared confidential salary data with the wrong distribution list, they break down the three phases of trust repai
How New Managers Can Handle the Spotlight of High Visibility Projects
In episode 151 of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a scenario every new manager faces eventually: being handed a high visibility project that puts you and your team under the microscope. They unpack the specific pressure of leading a project that senior leadership is watching, how to manage up without losing your team's trust, and why visibility can be a double-edged sword for a ne
How New Managers Can Handle a Team Mismatch After Hiring
In this special episode 150 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a scenario that's rarely covered: what happens when, six months after hiring a promising candidate, you realize they're not the right fit for the role or the team. They dig into the specific case of a product manager who was technically brilliant but clashed with the team's collaborative culture. They walk
How New Managers Can Handle Burnout Without Quitting
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a topic every new manager hits eventually: burnout. Not the dramatic collapse kind, but the slow, creeping exhaustion that comes from absorbing your team's stress while still figuring out your own role. We look at a 2025 Gallup finding that managers are more likely than their reports to report burnout, and we unpack why the manage
How New Managers Can Learn From a Failed Project
When a project you're leading goes sideways, the pressure to pin blame or move on fast can be overwhelming. But for a new manager, a failure is one of the richest learning opportunities you'll get. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into a real-world example: the 2020 launch of a major tech product that missed its mark, and what the team lead did differently in the aftermath. They break down the
How New Managers Can Handle Imposter Syndrome
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle imposter syndrome—the nagging feeling that you're a fraud and about to be found out. They explore why new managers are especially vulnerable, sharing research from psychologist Pauline Rose Clance and practical strategies to reframe self-doubt. Lucas breaks down the 'imposter cycle' and how perfectionism fuels it, while Luna offer
How New Managers Can Set Boundaries With Their Team
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a challenge every new manager faces: setting boundaries without becoming the office villain. They dive into the story of a product manager who inherited a team used to 24/7 Slack access, and how she used a 'response budget' to reset expectations. Lucas breaks down the psychology of availability bias and why saying 'n
How New Managers Can Lead Their First Team Meeting
Your first team meeting as a new manager sets the tone for everything that follows. Lucas and Luna break down how to prepare, what to cover, and what to avoid. They walk through a real example: a new engineering manager at a mid-size SaaS company who walked into her first all-hands with a clear agenda but forgot to address the elephant in the room — the team's anxiety about her predecessor's abrup
How New Managers Can Build Team Culture from Scratch
Episode 144 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the trickiest challenges first-time leaders face: creating a team culture where none exists. Lucas and Luna walk through the story of a new manager at a mid-size tech firm who inherited a group of five engineers with no shared rituals, no feedback norms, and a history of siloed work. They break down three concrete moves: establishing a team c
How New Managers Can Give Feedback Without Crushing Morale
New managers often struggle with giving constructive feedback without demotivating their team. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) framework using a real example from a marketing team at a midsize SaaS company. They discuss why vague praise and criticism both fail, how to separate the person from the problem, and the one thing you should never say in a fe
How to Manage a Direct Report Who Is Older Than You
When Catherine H. became a manager at a Midwest manufacturing firm at 29, one of her new direct reports was a 58-year-old engineer named Bob who had been with the company for 30 years. In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna unpack the specific challenges of managing someone older than you — including how to avoid the 'prove yourself' trap, when to lean on their institutional
How to Lead a Team More Experienced Than You
Episode 141 of New Manager Conversations tackles a common but rarely discussed challenge: taking over a team where your direct reports have decades more experience than you. Lucas and Luna break down why this dynamic triggers anxiety on both sides, and offer concrete strategies for earning trust without pretending to know more than you do. They discuss the importance of defining what you bring to
How to Manage Former Peers After a Promotion
When Sarah got promoted to team lead at a mid-sized tech firm, her closest work friend stopped speaking to her. This episode digs into that friction: the research shows 67% of new managers struggle with the peer-to-boss transition. Lucas and Luna walk through the key moves—having a new expectations conversation, setting boundaries, and handling feedback without destroying relationships. They also
How New Managers Can Help Their Team Bounce Back from Failure
When your team misses a major deadline or ships a buggy product, the way you respond can define your leadership. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how new managers can transform failure into a learning opportunity — without eroding trust or morale. Drawing on research from Harvard Business Review and a real-world example from a mid-size SaaS company, they break down three practical strategie
How New Managers Can Succeed With Remote Teams
Managing a remote or hybrid team is a whole new ballgame for first-time managers. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into why traditional management tactics fall short when you're not in the same room, and share three concrete practices that help bridge the distance. They reference a 2025 Gallup study showing only one in three new managers felt prepared to lead remotely, and discuss real-world e
How New Managers Can Build Psychological Safety on Their Team
Episode 137 of New Manager Conversations tackles psychological safety – what it really means and how new managers can cultivate it, starting with their own willingness to be vulnerable. Lucas and Luna explore Amy Edmondson's classic research on team learning and unpack a concrete case: a first-time engineering manager at a mid-size SaaS company who turned around a silent, blame-avoidant team by in
How New Managers Can Handle Team Conflict
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore practical steps for new managers caught in the middle of team disagreements. They discuss the 'separate people from the problem' framework, how to run a structured mediation meeting, and when it's okay to let the team solve its own conflicts. Specific examples include a clash over technical direction between two senior engineers, the risk of taking sides too
How New Managers Can Handle a Micromanaging Boss
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a challenge that nearly every first-time leader faces: a boss who can't stop hovering. Drawing on a 2024 Center for Creative Leadership survey and a real case from a marketing manager at HubSpot, they break down why micromanagement spikes during leadership transitions, how to proactively build trust through communication rhythms,
When You're the Youngest Manager on the Team
Being a new manager is tough. Being the youngest person in the room — or managing people with decades more experience — adds a whole new layer. In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle the specific challenges of leading when you're the least experienced person on your team. They share research-backed strategies from Harvard Business Review and real-world examples of how to build credibility without
How New Managers Can Delegate Without Dumping
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the hardest skills for first-time leaders: delegation that builds capability, not resentment. They break down the difference between delegating and dumping, sharing a practical framework from former Intel CEO Andy Grove's 'task-relevant maturity' concept. You'll learn how to assess a direct report's readiness for a task, ho
How New Managers Can Handle Decision Fatigue
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle decision fatigue — the hidden drain on new managers who suddenly face dozens of choices daily. Lucas shares research from a 2024 Cornell study showing managers make an average of 35 job-related decisions per day, with cognitive depletion setting in after the 20th. They discuss the 'decide once' principle used by figures like Obama
How New Managers Can Navigate Their First Performance Reviews
Episode 131 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the most stressful moments for any first-time leader: conducting performance reviews. Lucas and Luna unpack the specific case of Sarah, a first-time manager at a mid-sized software company who inherited a team with mixed tenure and uneven performance. They discuss how to frame reviews as coaching conversations rather than verdicts, the import
How New Managers Can Handle Difficult Conversations with Direct Reports
Episode 130 of New Manager Conversations tackles the specific challenge of initiating and navigating difficult conversations with direct reports. Lucas shares a framework he learned from a senior HR executive at a Fortune 500 firm — the 'SBI model' (Situation, Behavior, Impact) — and walks through a real example of addressing chronic lateness in a team member. Luna pushes back on the model's perce
How New Managers Can Run Their First One-on-One
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna break down the art of the first one-on-one meeting with a direct report. Using the real-world example of a new team lead at a mid-size SaaS company who inherited a team of seven, they walk through a concrete structure: how to set the agenda in advance, what questions to ask first, and how to avoid the trap of treating the meeting as a st
How New Managers Can Influence Without Authority
Lucas and Luna tackle one of the hardest challenges for new managers: getting things done when your team doesn't directly report to you. They break down the concept of 'influence without authority' using the real-world example of a project manager at a mid-sized tech firm who had to coordinate across engineering, marketing, and sales without any direct reporting lines. Lucas shares three concrete
How New Managers Can Manage Their Energy Not Just Their Time
Episode 127 of New Manager Conversations tackles a challenge that rarely gets formal airtime: energy management. Lucas opens with a specific story about a first-time manager at a mid-sized SaaS company who scheduled back-to-back 1-1s all morning, then had nothing left for strategic thinking by 2 PM. He and Luna explore the difference between time-blocking and energy-blocking, drawing on research f
How New Managers Can Handle Impostor Syndrome
New manager Sarah Chen felt like a fraud after being promoted to lead a data science team of eight. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore why impostor syndrome hits new managers especially hard and what to do about it. They break down a specific tactic from executive coach Dr. Marcia Reynolds: the 'evidence log' — a simple practice of writing down three things you did well each day for thirty da
How New Managers Can Navigate Office Politics Without Playing Games
Episode 125 of New Manager Conversations tackles the uncomfortable reality every first-time leader faces: office politics. Lucas and Luna break down why 'staying above the fray' is a recipe for irrelevance, using the concrete example of a product manager who lost her team's budget because she refused to lobby. They share a three-part framework: map the influence network without being a gossip, bui
How New Managers Can Protect Their Team From Scope Creep
New managers often struggle to shield their teams from scope creep — those last-minute requests, vague additions, and 'small asks' that quietly blow up a quarter. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the specific case of a product design team at a mid-sized B2B SaaS company that lost three weeks of roadmap time to unmanaged scope creep in Q2 2026. They walk through a concrete framework — the
How New Managers Can Manage Up Without Selling Out
New managers often hear 'manage up' as corporate-speak for flattery. But in this episode, Lucas and Luna break down what managing up actually looks like in your first 90 days — using a concrete case: a first-time engineering manager at a mid-size SaaS company who had to convince a skeptical CTO to fund a refactor. They cover the three-step framework for earning upward influence: understanding your
How New Managers Can Build a Feedback Culture
In episode 122 of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna explore how new managers can cultivate a culture of feedback within their teams. Using the example of Bridgewater Associates' radical transparency approach—and why it mostly doesn't work for normal teams—they discuss practical, lower-risk methods like feedback warm-ups, 'continue/stop/start' templates, and modeling vulnerability by asking
How New Managers Can Set Team Norms Early
Lucas and Luna tackle a challenge every new manager faces: establishing team norms without coming across as controlling. Using the example of a product team at a mid-sized SaaS company called Tendril, they break down how to set expectations around communication, decision-making, and meeting etiquette in the first 30 days. They discuss the 'working agreement' framework—a simple document co-created
How New Managers Can Host Effective Skip-Level Meetings
In episode 120 of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a skill most first-time leaders overlook: the skip-level meeting. Lucas opens with a striking stat from Google's Project Oxygen — that managers who regularly meet with their direct reports' direct reports see 12% higher team retention. They break down exactly how to structure a 25-minute skip-level so it doesn't feel like a surveil
How New Managers Can Transition from Peer to Manager
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest transitions in a manager's journey: moving from peer to boss. Using the real-world example of a team lead at a mid-sized SaaS company who was promoted over four former teammates, they break down the three concrete shifts that make the difference — changing how you participate in meetings, how you
How New Managers Can Rebuild Trust After a Mistake
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a subject every new manager eventually faces: making a significant mistake and then having to rebuild trust with the team. They break down a real-world scenario: a first-time manager at a mid-sized B2B software company shared incorrect quarterly targets during a team all-hands, causing confusion and frustration. The discussion walks through the three-step rep
How New Managers Can Develop Their Own Leadership Voice
New managers are told to find their own leadership style, but what does that actually mean? Lucas and Luna examine why copying someone else's approach often backfires, then walk through a three-part framework for developing a leadership voice that feels authentic and still commands respect. They discuss the difference between style and substance, how to borrow specific moves without becoming a clo
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