Most engineers become leaders because they're great at solving problems.
Then they get promoted... and suddenly the thing that made them successful starts getting in the way.
If you've ever struggled to delegate, found yourself jumping in to fix everything, or wondered why your team keeps bringing every problem back to you, this conversation will probably hit close to home.
Ashley Chang started her career as an engineer and now leads training and development at Anduril. She talks about what really changes when you move from individual contributor to leader, and why leading isn't about having all the answers anymore. It's about asking better questions, setting clear expectations, and creating an environment where your team can solve problems without depending on you.
We also get into why so many companies confuse "don't micromanage" with "don't lead," why coaching is a skill that has to be developed, and why technical experts don't automatically become great teachers just because they're the best at the job.
If you're leading engineers, manufacturing teams, or any technical organization, this episode is a practical conversation about what actually changes when your job shifts from doing the work to helping other people do it well.
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the show, share it with someone leading a technical team, and leave a review so more engineering leaders can find these conversations.
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Ashley Chang
Matt Gjertsen