Dave Kline

Become the Leader You’d Follow | Founder @ MGMT | Coach | Advisor | Speaker | Trusted by 250K+ leaders.

Hey, I’m Dave Kline.

I teach leaders how to build All-Star teams and level up their careers.

After decades of leading in pretty intense environments, from Bridgewater Associates to Moody’s Analytics, I know what it takes to be the manager your team remembers (for the right reasons).

Why I can help you is simple:

I’ve been through it.

And to prove it, here’s my background (by the numbers) ⤵️

2: Decades leading high-impact teams in asset management (Bridgewater), consulting (PwC), & financial services (Moody’s Analytics).

4: Years as an entrepreneur. My portfolio includes Skillscouter (an online course & career site), and MGMT Accelerator (a cohort-based management training course).

14: Cohorts of early-career leaders that I’ve taught at multiple companies.

100: Managers I recruited, onboarded & mentored at Bridgewater Associates.

1,000: Performance evaluations with grace and respect for stars and terminations alike.

205,000+: My community across LinkedIn & Twitter interested in management tactics & leadership lessons

385,000,000: My team’s top revenue year at Moody’s.

Now that we’ve covered the why, here’s the how:

- The MGMT Accelerator – an intensive management training course for both new and senior leaders
- MGMT Fundamentals – a course that covers all the need-to-know management basics for rookie leaders
- The MGMT Playbook – a weekly newsletter that gives practical management insights

Through our MGMT courses, my wife Marsden and I have played the assist with over 1,100 leaders so far, who’ve now learned how to:

- Practically tackle the most common leadership challenges
- Build their Management OS’s CODE (Coach, Operate, Delegate, Engage)
- Refine their individual leadership Decision-Making System

With our 30+ years of combined experience, you won’t just get our knowledge.

You’ll get to ask us questions directly and get access to coaching that’s more tailored to your own experience.

We always say – if we could do it like a dinner party, we would.

If you’re interested in leadership advice (that doesn’t just sound nice but actually works), drop me a follow – I post daily.

And if you like what you see, our MGMT courses could be just what you need to level up.

DM me if you’re interested.

Co-Founder

We created the MGMT Accelerator to help managers rapidly develop into trusted leaders by combining the art & science of management. 

This 4-week program consistents of eight 90-minute modules where I share the tactics I learned leading high-performing teams for 25 years. During each session, we tailor those insights together to build your personalized management system together. 

You'll learn alongside ~50 peers and become part of an expert community of more than 300 alums.

9 Signs Your Team Might Be Toxic

(And it's costing you more than you think)

No team is perfect.

But there's a critical difference between:
Temporary Discomfort and Permanent Dysfunction.

The ❌'s reveal the hidden damage.
The ✅'s show you what excellence looks like.

The more signs you recognize,
The faster you need to move.

Good People Leave
❌ Your best talent quits, replaced by whoever applies
✅ A-players recruit and develop other A-players

Mediocre People Stay
❌ Average becomes the accepted norm
✅ Excellence is supplied, recognized, and multiplied

Conflict Never Gets Fully Resolved
❌ Tension builds privately until it erupts publicly
✅ Problems are surfaced, discussed, and solved

The War Inside Our Walls
❌ Departments compete instead of collaborating
✅ Everyone focuses on beating external competition

Decisions Get Made and Unmade
❌ Choices get revisited endlessly, killing momentum
✅ Decisions are made, with clear owners and follow-through

Questions Are Met With Silence
❌ Information is hoarded for leverage and protection
✅ Knowledge is shared openly to strengthen everyone

Feedback is Nonexistent
❌ People guess at their performance without clarity
✅ Consistent, direct feedback accelerates growth

Tomorrow Never Comes
❌ Promises are made but never kept
✅ Commitments today become results tomorrow

Success Is Accidental
❌ Wins are downplayed, high standards feel threatening
✅ Success is analyzed, replicated, and built into systems

The opposite of a toxic environment is a high-performing one. 

Building one requires:  
✅ the right people, 
✅ the right systems, 
✅ and the right leader. 

Our MGMT Accelerator will help you become one faster. 

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFwuqzh3

See why 1,400+ leaders said it was worth 25x what they paid.

Remember:
If you're quietly tolerating a toxic team,
You're slowly becoming part of the problem.

You either shape your environment or it shapes you.
Choose to be the catalyst, not the casualty.

♻️ Please repost to help others.
✅ And follow Dave Kline for more.

9 Signs You Might Have a Toxic Team

One choice hurts more managers than any other:

The 'More People' Paradox.

Here's what it is and how to avoid it...

Most teams fall into this pattern:

❌ Problem →
❌ Add People →
❌ More Complexity →
❌ Bigger Problems →
❌ Add Even More People

In an effort to add capacity,
They drown themselves in complexity.

Here's the trap: 

Capacity grows linearly. 
Complexity grows exponentially. 

High-performing teams know this. 
They choose a different path: 

❌ Problem →
✅ Diagnose →
✅ Delete, Simplify, or Automate →
✅ Refocus & Execute →
✅ Scale

Why does this order change things? 
Pruning is required for healthy growth.

They fix the model to scale. 
They don't hope scale fixes the model. 

Ask these 3 questions before you hire:

1️⃣ What could we stop doing?
• Nice-to-have projects
• Low-impact meetings
• Redundant reports

2️⃣ What are we overcomplicating?
• Communication channels
• Project workflows
• Decision making

3️⃣ What are we avoiding?
• Technology improvements
• Difficult conversations
• Priority decisions

BONUS: What could AI handle?
• Document processing
• Standard responses
• Data aggregation
• Routine analysis

✅ Remember:
Our optimal path to greater success...
Doing half as much, twice as well.

If this post resonated with you...
🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more
♻️ Share to help others go big by thinking small

PS - We have another free AI-Enhanced Leader workshop coming up. 
"Build Your AI-Powered Leadership Coach in 30 Minutes"
Join 352 leaders already signed up: https://lnkd.in/guyyAMdN

Managing up doesn't require sucking up.

If you know how to do it right.

Managing up isn't about:
• Power
• Politics
• Persuasion

It's about building a relationship with your boss.
And making them successful while you do it.

And that starts by knowing who your manager is.

Here are 3 common manager archetypes
(and how to speak their language):

The Relentless Micromanager
• Needs to control every detail
• Constantly checks in for updates
• Language: High-velocity details before they ask

The Volatile Visionary
• Focuses on big ideas and long-term goals
• Everything is extreme: failure or excellence
• Language: Contrarian insights tied to their vision

The Disconnected Diva
• Out of touch with day-to-day operations
• Doesn't understand frontline challenges
• Language: Repeatable stories that connect dots

Once you know who you're talking to,
You can apply a range of practical tactics. 

The carousel below has one proven tactic
To overcome 10 common objections to managing up.

Swipe through and give one a try.

Make your boss's goals your goals, and three things happen:
• You get more support for your team
• You get more opportunities for growth
• You get more autonomy in your decisions

This isn't politics. 
This is partnership.

Want help applying this skill?

Join MGMT Fundamentals starting next Tuesday.

"Managing Up" is one of the 6 core skills we teach.

• One hour a day over two weeks.
• Critical Skills + Proven Systems. 
• Group coaching to unlock your challenge.

Enrollment closes in 3 days: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5

Join 33 leaders looking to level up.

♻️ Share this to help a new manager.

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more leadership insights.

How to Manage Up (and get what you deserve)

Most new managers fail (nearly 60%). 

Not because they aren't capable. 

It's because they focus on the wrong things. 

Here's what I wish someone had told me:

1. Define a Clear Mission

Average teams execute tasks.
High-performing teams drive outcomes.

Your team needs to know:
• Why their work matters
• How it impacts the company
• What winning looks like

Test: Can each person explain the mission in one sentence?

2. Hire Slowly, Fire Fast

High performers want to work with high performers.

Never compromise on:
• Proven ability to deliver
• Self-direction and ownership
• Character over credentials

One A-player is worth three B-players.
One C-player destroys team standards.

3. Give Earned Autonomy

Top talent doesn't need micromanagement.

Define the outcome, not the process.

Let them:
• Set their schedule
• Choose their methods
• Make meaningful decisions

Your job: Remove obstacles, not create them.

4. Protect Their Time

Meetings are overhead, not output.

Only meet to:
• Align on priorities
• Solve blocking problems
• Make decisions

Default to async communication.
Protect their time to create value.

5. Kill Bureaucracy

High performers hate administrative waste.

Cut ruthlessly:
• Unnecessary approvals
• Redundant reporting
• Meeting theater

Ask: "Does this help us win or just look busy?"

6. Guard Their Focus

Concentration beats distraction.

Say no to:
• Random committees
• Shiny object syndrome
• Everything that's not the main thing

The best teams do half as much twice as well.

7. Track Outcomes, Not Activities

Set clear expectations.
Measure results, not hours.

Focus on:
• Results delivered
• Quality standards met
• Timeline commitments kept

Outputs matter more than inputs.

8. Remove Friction Daily

High performers solve problems relentlessly.

Will it be customer problems?
Or the ones you create?

Daily question: "What's slowing my team down?"

Then fix it immediately.

New managers succeed when talented people have:
• Clear direction
• High autonomy
• Zero friction

Want to start strong as a manager?

Get the training 85% of managers never receive.

MGMT Fundamentals starts January 27th.
10 hours over two weeks. The 80/20 skills and systems to lead effectively.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5

85% of managers get reimbursed by their company. Just ask.
Bonus: Bring a colleague and you both save 20%.

Come learn how to become a leader you'd follow.

♻️ Share this to help a new manager.

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more practical management insights.

 Quick Tips for New Managers

Success isn't determined by what you know.

It's determined by how fast you move.

And how quickly you adjust based on what you learn.

But before every action, there's a decision.
And before every decision, there's indecision. 

Those who win work from data: 
• Data from experience. 
• Data from customers. 
• Data from doing.

And they know: 

The faster you decide, the faster you learn.

Here are 7 simple tips to make better decisions:

Empty Your Mind
• Write down every swirling thought
• Focus only on your top 3 factors

Flip a Coin
• Not for the result, but for your reaction
• Your gut reveals the right answer

Find a Partner
• Direct partner shares the journey with you
• Trusted advisor shows the path ahead of you

Sell Then Build
• Get one real customer to pay first
• Let revenue validate your next step

Price Your Indecision
• Calculate what waiting costs you
• Compare it to the cost of choosing wrong

Only Commit to Today
• Skip the 10-year questions
• Answer one question today

Burn the Ships
• Make a call you can't reverse
• This meeting ends with a decision

Remember:

The faster you decide, the sooner you learn.

Indecision only creates one thing: anxiety.

Stop waiting for clarity.
Start creating it.

You can almost always go back.
But not without moving forward first.

Helpful?

✅ Follow Dave Kline for more.

♻️ Share to help others get unstuck.

7 Simple Ways to Make Better Decisions 

Everyone wants accountability.

No one wants to be held accountable.

This guide makes accountability the default mode.

Accountability is not something you do.
It's the outcome of doing things the right way.

Most leaders think accountability is about confrontation:
• Creating consequences for failure
• Calling people out in meetings
• Tracking every detail

That's not accountability.
That's micromanagement.

Real accountability happens when your people want to win. 
And your systems make it hard to fail.

Here are the 5 systems that make accountability automatic:

1. Crystal Clear Outcomes
Define success before you start. Vague goals create average results. Specific targets create clear accountability.

2. Visible Progress Tracking
Make progress public. When everyone can see the scoreboard, people naturally step up their game.

3. Regular Check-In Rhythms
Weekly reviews, not quarterly surprises. Frequent small course corrections beat big dramatic overhauls.

4. Ownership Assignment
One person owns each outcome. Shared ownership means no one is responsible.

5. Outcome Clarity
Know what happens when you hit the target and what happens when you miss. No surprises, no excuses.

The result?

Teams that hold themselves accountable.
Leaders who coach instead of complain.
Results that speak for themselves.

What's your biggest accountability challenge?

Getting people to own their results?
Having the hard conversations?
Making progress visible?

Steal my step-by-step playbook from the carousel below 👇

And make Mutual Accountability your team's default mode.

And if you found this playbook helpful: 

♻️ Share to help others build success through accountability
🔔 Follow Dave Kline & Marsden Kline for more leadership systems

PS - We've got our first free Lightning Lesson for 2026 on Thursday. 
"AI-Powered Planning: Get Buy-In, Stay Agile, and Win 2026"
Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gGGcRKMp

 Build a Culture of Accountability

Helping Overwhelmed Managers Become Impactful Leaders - Faster | Mom, Entrepreneur & MGMT Co-Founder

Hi I’m Marsden.

Mom. Wife. Entrepreneur.

Building a modern “Mom & Pop Shop”: Co-Founding MGMT with my husband Dave Kline.

You might be asking yourself, “Marsden, what do you mean when you say Mom & Pop Shop”?

It’s simple really.

For the years, myself and my husband have dedicated ourselves to a singular goal:

To help leaders become the best versions of themselves through proven management tactics for leading high-performing teams.

Creating something that we wish that we’d had as leaders earlier in our careers.

And to do that we knew that needed the following ingredients:

✅ Hustle
✅ Shared vision for a business AND family life
✅ Joy: If you know us, we laughed at/with one another
✅ A product shaped by years of hands-on experience
✅ A commitment to connecting with each person who walks in

The ingredients that make a modern “Mom & Pop shop”.

And with our combined 30+ years of leadership experience working for big names such as: Google, Moody’s, Goldman Sachs & Bridgewater Associates ↴

We saw the common problems managers and leaders were facing. 

And knew that we had the tools to create something that not only helped leaders, but transformed the way that they worked.

And that’s exactly what we’ve built with MGMT.

Today: We have over 1000 alums from our MGMT Accelerator & MGMT Fundamentals course.

And that number just keeps growing.

From new leaders, to those with years of experience, we’ve helped countless individuals:

→ Overcome common management challenges
→ Develop your Management OS's CODE (Coach, Operate, Delegate & Engage).
→ Refine their leadership Decision-Making System tailored to your individual approach.

The next leader we help could be you.

If you’re looking to change the way you manage your high-performing team in 2025, hit the follow button! ☝️

Or better yet, shoot me a DM 📥

Marsden Kline

Lessons that rhyme with real life.

These make me better at work and at home.

Follow Liz Fosslien.
You need her voice in your feed.

I'm 45.
A mom, a co-founder, a coach.

I'm competitive. 
Mostly with myself.

11 Honest Reminders that Keep Me on Track
(#9 might be an underestimate)

1. Your Work Is Not Your Full Worth
• Be competitive about the right cause
• Define your best days. Build more of them

2. Aggressive Goals Pair Well with Grace
• Push hard while forgiving imperfect progress
• Keep showing up, but don't forget to laugh

3. Beware of Unattainable "More"
• Define "enough"
• Celebrate it

4. Don't Borrow Someone's Ruler
• Their highlight reel isn't your reality
• Define success based on your values, not their wins

5. Invest in Yourself to Show Up for Others
• Givers need fuel
• No one craves my company if I haven't worked out

6. People Pleasing Fuels Me
• Common advice tells you to just stop
• Instead, channel it

7. Why Go Big When You Can Go Home
• Rest powers this machine
• I've left late night FOMO behind

8. Define What It Means to Win
• Write down success before you start playing
• If you don't define it, someone else will

9. Because I'm "Fine," I Walk the Line
• 47 open mental tabs (on average)
• I revel in it, but resets are wise

10. Be Careful How You Coach Yourself
• End your day by writing down what went well
• Learn from mistakes, but don't dwell

11. Perfect Filters Don't Show Tired Eyes
• Scrolling fills you with "I should"
• Log off, write your story

These aren't revolutionary.
They're reminders.

Which idea slowed your scroll?

♻️ Share to help someone 
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--
We write here daily
Our most actionable advice is in our wekely newsletter
Join 57k+ leaders and subscribe
https://mgmt.beehiiv.com/

Helping Overwhelmed Managers Become Impactful Leaders - Faster | Mom, Co-Founder, Sports Fan

 11 Reminders to Build Better Days

How do you turn around a program?

"One play at a time, 6 seconds a play."

Indiana had zero five-star recruits.
They're playing for the national championship.

A lot is written about standards.
We can all learn from Coach Curt Cignetti:

"From the first play to the last play. Fast, physical, relentless. Smart, disciplined, poised. One play at a time, 6 seconds a play. Every play has a life and history of its own, like it's nothing, nothing. Not affected by success or failure. On to the next play, never satisfied. Playing to a standard, not the circumstances in the game."

And, how did he attract the right talent?
Relentless focus on traits.

From ankle flexion to handshakes.

"He's old-school, so one of the biggest things, when you meet him as a recruit, little things matter: Shake his hand, firm grip, be able to communicate, be confident." - Pat Kuntz, assistant coach

He focuses on production over potential:

"He doesn't always go after the big, shiny guys. If you can make plays, he wants you. The second part of that is the human being behind the pads. He's going to bring guys who mold well in the locker room. That's what's made this team so special." - Isaiah Jones, linebacker

Coaching matters.

♻️ Share to help someone 
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--
I'm a lifelong sports fan.
I've always loved to watch games.
But now I study locker room speeches, too.

After all, sports is management.
With a very public scoreboard.

Your metrics might be green.

But how's your team's vital signs?

Burnout doesn't announce itself.
It whispers through small signals.

Has the "New Year energy" already faded?

Declining quality.
Delayed responses.
Disengaged meetings.

By the time someone quits,
They've been mentally gone for months.

Smart leaders don't wait for the breakdown.
They audit for the warning signs.

8 Energy Drains Killing Your Team
(catch them early, fix them fast)

Calendar Chaos
🚩 No space between meetings
🚩 Deep work happens after hours
✅ Morning focus blocks (10am-12pm)
✅ Meeting-free Wednesdays

Decision Quicksand
🚩 Simple choices take weeks
🚩 Everyone needs to weigh in
✅ Time-box decisions: 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week
✅ Make small bets, not big debates

The Almost-Done Graveyard
🚩 Projects stall at 90%
🚩 "Just needs finishing touches"
✅ Ship the smallest viable version
✅ Test core value, cut everything else

Screen Fatigue
🚩 Cameras stay off
🚩 Engagement hits zero
✅ Energy check-ins before business
✅ End early when momentum drops

Perfectionism Paralysis
🚩 Hours spent on minor details
🚩 Nothing ships until "perfect"
✅ Ask: Does this impact our main goal?
✅ Good enough beats never done

Busy = Productive Trap
🚩 Long hours, little progress
🚩 Motion confused with movement
✅ Track outcomes, not hours
✅ 3 priorities max, everything else waits

Shiny Object Syndrome
🚩 New "urgent" projects weekly
🚩 Core work gets interrupted
✅ Protect 10am-2pm for primary goals
✅ Side projects earn their spot

Silent Treatment
🚩 Problems fester privately
🚩 Fake harmony rules
✅ Friday feedback rounds
✅ Make conflict productive, not personal

Are you hearing what isn't being said?

♻️ Share to help someone 
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Carousel by: Dave Kline

--
Don't be surprised.
Ask
https://lnkd.in/gszNZX9S

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