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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
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
How New Managers Can Establish Their Authority Without Being Bossy
Lucas and Luna explore a subtle but critical skill for new managers: establishing authority without coming across as bossy or authoritarian. They dig into the research on 'soft dominance' from organizational psychologist Dr. Lindsey Cameron at Penn's Wharton School, who studied 150 new managers over two years. Key finding: the managers who earned the most respect from their teams used a mix of cle
How New Managers Can Give Feedback That Sticks
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the hardest first-year leadership skills: delivering feedback that actually changes behavior. They break down the 'feedback sandbox' method, a concrete four-step framework that avoids the common pitfalls of vague praise or exploding criticism. We walk through a real scenario from a new manager at a mid-sized SaaS company, s
How New Managers Can Coach Underperformers Without Rescuing Them
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the hardest transitions from peer to manager: addressing a team member who isn't meeting expectations—without falling into the trap of doing their work for them. They walk through a real case from a first-time manager at a mid-sized SaaS company, where a formerly strong individual contributor started missing deadlines and p
How New Managers Can Lead a Team Through Change
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a challenge every new manager faces: leading a team through change. They anchor the discussion around a concrete example from a mid-sized tech company where a new manager successfully guided her team through a product pivot. Lucas breaks down the concept of 'change curve' and explains why new managers often skip the critical step
How New Managers Can Delegate Without Losing Control
New managers often struggle with delegation — either they micromanage or they dump tasks and hope for the best. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a specific framework: the 'task-transfer ladder' adapted from Julie Zhou's 'The Making of a Manager.' They walk through a concrete example from a first-time engineering manager at a mid-size SaaS company who had to hand off a critical integration p
How New Managers Can Spotlight Their Team Members
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a subtle but crucial skill for new managers: giving credit to your team members effectively. They discuss why spotlighting team members builds trust and motivation, and share concrete tactics like the 'attribution pause' and the 'skip-level shout-out.' The conversation includes real-world examples from a new manager at a mid-size
How New Managers Can Say No Without Burning Bridges
Episode 110 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the toughest transitions for first-time leaders: learning to say no without damaging relationships or losing credibility. Lucas and Luna walk through a real case from mid-2026 involving a rising engineering lead at a mid-sized SaaS company who was drowning in cross-functional requests after her promotion. They break down a concrete framework
How New Managers Can Handle Decision Fatigue
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a problem many first-time managers quietly struggle with: decision fatigue. Lucas shares a specific framework from a study of judges and parole decisions to illustrate how mental depletion erodes judgment by the afternoon. They discuss why new managers face an especially steep cognitive load — more decisions, less experience, and tighter feedback loops — and
How New Managers Can Run Effective Status Meetings
In this episode of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle a topic every new manager dreads: the status meeting. They break down why most status meetings waste 30 minutes of everyone's week and offer a specific framework to fix them. Lucas introduces the 'three-by-three' structure: three minutes of prep, three agenda items maximum, and a three-word status per person. They walk through a r
How New Managers Can Receive Feedback Without Getting Defensive
Episode 107 of New Manager Conversations explores a skill almost nobody teaches: how to accept feedback as a new boss. Lucas and Luna break down the specific psychological triggers that make direct reports hesitate to critique their manager, and why the classic 'feedback is a gift' advice backfires. They unpack a real example from a first-time engineering manager at a midsize SaaS company who lear
How New Managers Can Run Their First Difficult Performance Conversation
Episode 106 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo tackles the most daunting moment of the first 90 days: the first difficult performance conversation. Lucas and Luna break down a real-world case — a new manager named Priya who must address declining output from a ten-year veteran named Raj. They walk through the five-minute prep framework, the conversation structure that reduces defensiveness,
How New Managers Can Run Their First Team Offsite
Episode 105 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo tackles a milestone most first-time leaders dread: planning and running a team offsite. Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world case — a new manager at a mid-sized B2B SaaS company, six months into the role, taking eight direct reports to a one-day offsite. They break down the pre-work (setting a clear purpose, gathering input without over-eng
How New Managers Can Run One-on-Ones That Actually Work
Episode 104 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo tackles the single most underused tool in a new manager's toolkit: the weekly one-on-one. Lucas and Luna break down why most one-on-ones are a waste of time—and how to fix them. They walk through a concrete structure from manager coaching veteran Kim Scott, including the 'state of the union opener,' the five-minute rule for listening, and the o
How New Managers Can Navigate Cross-Functional Conflict
Episode 103 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the hardest and least-taught skills for first-time leaders: resolving conflict with peers in other departments. Lucas and Luna break down a real scenario—a new product manager clashing with engineering over deadlines—and walk through three specific moves: separating positional from personal stakes, finding the shared metric, and escalating wi
How New Managers Can Lead a Team Through a Reorganisation
Episode 102 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the hardest tests for a first-time manager: leading a team through a reorganisation. Lucas walks through a real scenario based on a mid-size tech company where a new manager named Priya was told her five-person team would be absorbed into a larger group, with two roles eliminated. Lucas and Luna break down the concrete moves Priya made in her
How New Managers Can Handle Imposter Syndrome
New manager imposter syndrome is a hidden career trap. Lucas unpacks a 2024 study from Catalyst showing 67% of first-time managers report feeling like a fraud, and why it hits hardest during the first 90 days. He and Luna walk through the specific moments that trigger it: hiring someone older than you, giving feedback to a former peer, and sitting in your first budget meeting. They discuss a pract
How New Managers Can Build a Personal Board of Directors
Episode 100: Luna and Lucas tackle a challenge every new manager faces: who do you turn to for honest, unbiased advice when you can't go to your boss or your old peers? They explore the concept of a 'personal board of directors' — a small, handpicked group of mentors and peers from inside and outside your organisation. Lucas shares the story of a first-time manager at a mid-sized tech firm who, af
How New Managers Can Set Boundaries with Their Old Team
Episode 99 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the hardest transitions: going from peer to boss and needing to set boundaries with people who were once your equals. Lucas and Luna break down the specific moment when a new manager has to say 'I can't be in that group chat anymore' or 'I need you to come to me with problems, not just vent.' Using the real example of a marketing team lead who
How New Managers Can Navigate Office Politics Without Playing Games
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest challenges for new managers: office politics. Using the example of a first-time manager at a mid-sized tech firm who inherited a team with a powerful informal leader, they explore how to map influence networks, build alliances with peers, and protect your team without getting tangled in drama. Lucas shares a specific framework — the 'thre
How New Managers Can Handle a Team Member Who Resists Change
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the toughest challenges for new managers: a team member who actively resists a necessary change. They break down a real scenario from a mid-sized SaaS company where a senior engineer refused to adopt a new sprint process, costing the team time and morale. Lucas shares a three-step framework he learned from an internal coach at Atlassian: diagnose the s
How New Managers Can Manage Their Energy Not Just Their Time
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a fresh angle on the first 90 days: managing your energy, not just your calendar. Most new-manager advice focuses on time-blocking and to-do lists. But as Lucas explains, a new manager's real bottleneck is often their own depleted reserves — especially when you're managing former peers and absorbing the team's anxiet
How New Managers Can Ask for Help Without Looking Weak
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a surprisingly tough skill for new leaders: asking for help. Drawing on research from Harvard Business Review showing that 87% of first-time managers avoid asking for support in their first six months out of fear of appearing incompetent, they break down why this instinct backfires. Lucas shares a concrete case from a
How New Managers Can Take Ownership Without Overstepping
In episode 94 of New Manager Conversations, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest leadership challenges: taking ownership of a problem or project without steamrolling your team or micromanaging. Using a real-world example from a mid-size SaaS company where a newly promoted engineering manager inherited a failing product launch, they break down the difference between ownership and overreach. L
How New Managers Can Transition From Peer to Boss
This episode tackles one of the trickiest transitions in management: becoming the boss of people who used to be your peers. Lucas and Luna walk through a real scenario from a software engineer named Priya who was promoted to team lead at a mid-size SaaS company. They break down why the first team meeting after promotion sets the tone, how to have the 'new rules' conversation one-on-one with each f
How New Managers Can Build Trust With a Sceptical Team
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the hardest situations for a first-time leader: walking into a team that doesn't trust you yet. They break down a specific case from a software engineering team where the new manager inherited a group that had been burned by three previous bosses in two years. Lucas shares the concrete playbook that turned thin
How New Managers Can Give Constructive Criticism Without Crushing Morale
This episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo tackles one of the hardest leadership skills: delivering criticism that actually helps people improve without making them defensive. Lucas and Luna anchor the discussion around a real-world case: a new manager named Priya who needs to tell a talented but underperforming designer named Marcus that his recent work is off the mark. They walk thro
How New Managers Can Coach a High Performer Who Wants Your Job
Episode 90 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the trickiest leadership challenges: coaching a direct report who is ambitious, competent, and openly gunning for your role. Lucas and Luna break down a real scenario — a senior analyst named Priya who outperforms her peers, asks pointed questions in all-hands meetings, and has told her skip-level she wants to be a director in two years. They
How New Managers Can Delegate Without Losing Control
In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the hardest transitions for a first-time manager: letting go of the work you used to do yourself. They break down the 3-level delegation framework from Tessa West's Jerks at Work, using a real example of a marketing manager moving from execution to oversight. Lucas explains the common trap of 'delegating and di
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Harmonize Your Life: Conversation on Self-Care for Women of Color
Lighting the Legal Career Path
