Narrator: Imagine it's your first week in a new management role. You've been promoted because you were a top performer, an expert in your field. You’re settling into your new office, feeling the weight and excitement of the new title, when one of your team members, Jennifer, appears at your door, visibly distraught. She closes the door and, through tears, tells you her husband has been cheating on her and wants a divorce. In that moment, you realize that no amount of technical expertise or sales prowess has prepared you for this. You are no longer just responsible for tasks and targets; you are responsible for people.

This is the jarring reality that author Ryan Hawk faced, and it's the central challenge he addresses in his book, Welcome to Management: How to Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader. The book serves as a practical guide for navigating the treacherous transition from individual contributor to leader. It dismantles the common misconception, known as the Peter Principle, that success in one role automatically translates to competence in the next. Instead, Hawk argues that effective leadership is a new and distinct skill set, one that must be intentionally learned and cultivated, starting from the inside out.

Narrator: Before a leader can guide a team, they must first learn to lead themselves. Hawk frames this as the foundational principle of management, asserting that you cannot lead anyone else anywhere you haven't been willing to go yourself. This journey of self-leadership has two components: the internal work of self-awareness and the external work of self-discipline.

The internal work begins with what Hawk calls building a "learning machine." This is a commitment to continuous, lifelong learning driven by intense curiosity. He illustrates this with the historical account of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a college professor with no military training who volunteered for the Union Army during the Civil War. Chamberlain immersed himself in military strategy, becoming a student of the art of war. When he found himself in the heat of the battle at Gettysburg, with his regiment out of ammunition and the entire Union flank at risk, he didn't panic. Drawing on his deep learning, he made the audacious call for a bayonet charge, a move that stunned the Confederates and saved the day. Chamberlain's story shows that intentional learning prepares leaders for moments they can't possibly anticipate.

The external component is self-discipline. Hawk uses the analogy of the Green Bay Packers' training camp, where even elite superstars like Aaron Rodgers spend hours drilling the most basic fundamentals. They work on the tiny details until they become instinct. For a leader, these fundamentals include managing their time, their responses, and their presence. It's about demonstrating the discipline you expect from others, because as a leader, your actions create ripples throughout the entire team.

Narrator: Once a leader has begun to master themselves, their next task is to build the team. Hawk argues that a leader’s most critical function is to cultivate a culture where people can do their best work. This culture, he explains, must be built on a foundation of trust, vulnerability, and psychological safety.

He contrasts this with his own early experience in a hyper-competitive sales organization where daily stack rankings pitted colleagues against each other. In that environment, knowledge was hoarded, and the success of one person was seen as a loss for another. It was a zero-sum game that stifled collaboration. When Hawk got the chance to lead his own team, he did the opposite. He focused on hiring for character and a willingness to help others. His team, which they named "Team Hawk," celebrated each other's wins and fostered a sense of shared identity and support.

To build this kind of environment, a leader must first earn the right to lead. This isn't granted by a title; it's earned through respect. Hawk points to the career of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who rose from Lieutenant Colonel to Supreme Allied Commander in just three years. Eisenhower earned the respect of his commanders and troops by demonstrating competence, conviction, high standards, and a willingness to listen and make difficult decisions. Similarly, a new manager must earn trust by being vulnerable. Hawk shares the story of a leader named Kat who, when joining a new team, would share her personal story of struggle. This act of vulnerability made her relatable and human, breaking down barriers and building connections far faster than authority ever could.

Narrator: A great culture is impossible without the right people. Hawk dedicates significant attention to the art of managing the team roster, emphasizing that who is on the team is the most important variable for success. This involves being as intentional about hiring as you are about firing.

For hiring, Hawk draws on the wisdom of Brian Koppelman, the creator of the TV show Billions. Koppelman's primary rule for his 150-person team is the "no asshole rule." He prioritizes kindness and the ability to collaborate over raw talent, believing that a toxic high-performer will do more damage than good. This means digging deep in interviews, getting candidates out of their rehearsed "interview mode," and conducting extensive reference checks to understand their true character.

Just as critical is knowing when to let someone go. Hawk shares a painful personal story of delaying the termination of an underperforming employee out of empathy for her personal situation. The delay, however, only caused more damage. The employee was confused and hurt when she was finally let go, and the rest of the team lost respect for Hawk's leadership because they had been carrying the extra weight. The lesson is clear: bad news doesn't get better with age. Firing someone should never be a surprise; it should be the final step in a long, clear process of feedback and performance management.

Narrator: The final and most profound shift for a new manager is moving from being a star player to being a coach who creates more stars. Hawk argues that the ultimate goal of a leader is to make themselves redundant by developing the skills and confidence of their team. This is the essence of the "Great Performer Paradox": the best leaders are so good at developing their people that they often get promoted or leave for better opportunities. While this may seem like a loss, it's actually the hallmark of an excellent leader.

This concept is powerfully illustrated by the legacy of legendary NFL coach Bill Walsh. After being passed over for a head coaching job, Walsh vowed that if he ever got the chance, he would make it a point to develop other coaches. He did just that, and his "coaching tree" produced numerous Super Bowl-winning head coaches. Walsh understood that his greatest legacy wasn't just the trophies his team won, but the leaders he created.

For a manager, this means shifting their focus from their own performance to their team's development. It means coaching, delegating ownership, and celebrating their team's successes as if they were their own. As leadership expert Simon Sinek states, "If you care to see others succeed, that’s why you lead."

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Welcome to Management is that leadership is not an extension of a previous job, but a fundamental identity shift. It is the transition from being responsible for the work to being responsible for the people who do the work. The skills that made someone a top performer—individual effort, technical expertise, and personal achievement—must be replaced by a new set of skills centered on empathy, coaching, and empowerment. True leadership, as the book powerfully argues, is about finding your greatness in the success of others.

This requires a deep and often challenging commitment to humility. It demands that leaders adopt what NBA star J.J. Redick calls a "never arrived" mindset—an understanding that you are always becoming, always learning. The book leaves aspiring leaders with a critical question: Are you still focused on shining, or are you ready to help others shine? The answer will determine your ultimate success as a leader.