Somewhere along the way, you picked up the idea that thoughtful ICs wait until they’re ready before going for the manager role. So you keep asking the question. Am I ready? And every time you ask it, it feels responsible. It feels like preparing.

Ramona has watched that exact question stall talented ICs for years. It has no evidence standard and no end date, which means you can ask it forever while it quietly turns your next career move into a verdict someone else gets to hand down.

In this episode, Ramona throws out the usual trait checklist (communicate well, put the team first, manage your time) and replaces it with a willingness audit: four questions you answer yes or no to, all testable this week, none requiring anyone’s permission.

She covers:

The four willingness questions, starting with whether you can stand having your results measured through other people’s work
The senior engineer who kept hearing "not quite there yet" and responded in exactly the wrong way
Two scripts that turn vague feedback into a specific behavior and a date
Three signs "you’re not ready" is your manager stalling, not a real assessment
What Bandura’s self-efficacy research says about waiting until you feel capable
The part almost nobody says out loud: for some of you the honest answer is no, and there’s a clean way to own it

Whether you’re circling the decision, hearing "not yet" on repeat, or quietly suspecting the manager track isn’t for you, this episode gets you to an honest answer faster.

Watch on YouTube: The Manager Track on YouTube

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE —

The Leadership Accelerator (12-week cohort program for new and early-stage managers): archova.org/leadership-accelerator
Albert Bandura’s research on self-efficacy and mastery experience
Center for Creative Leadership research on how leadership capability develops
Linda Hill, "Becoming a Manager" (research on new managers’ assumptions)
Free masterclass for new managers: archova.org/masterclass
"The Confident & Competent New Manager" by Ramona Shaw: archova.org/books

— LINKS —

Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona here: https://calendly.com/ramonashaw/leadership-strategy-session)
Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
Grab your copy of Ramona’s best-selling book ‘The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role’: amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.
Grab your copy of Ramona’s best-selling book ‘The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role’: amzn.to/3TuOdcP
Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz
Are you in your first manager role and don’t want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass
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