I have a good friend who hates his job. He’s an engineering manager, like me. He’s tired of the endless mountain of work and the unclear path of career progression ahead of him. That part isn’t particularly interesting though.
What’s interesting is why he hasn’t left. It’s not for lack of opportunity or because the pay is remotely competitive.
He’s staying at a job that brings him daily dread because he feels like he owes something to one of his engineers. For the last couple of years, he’s been working with a senior engineer toward a Staff promotion, but the cycle isn’t for another six months. He knows how much it matters to have a manager who will advocate for you.
I get it. I feel that same loyalty toward people on my team who work exceptionally hard and create outsized impact. I actually know a lot of managers who make decisions that benefit their reports, even when it means more work or worse outcomes for themselves.
Ironically, just as they say “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers,” it’s also true that “managers want to leave companies, but stay for their people.
Originally posted on LinkedIn.