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.

11 visuals that will transform your life
(simple changes you can start today)

These high-signal graphics were created by Ash Lamb.
Give him a follow!

1. Everything Is Built Brick-by-Brick
• The best time to start was 20 years ago
• The second best time is today

2. Don’t React, Respond
• You can’t control what happens
• You can always control your response

3. A Purpose Outlasts A Paycheck
• Teams need to know how to win
• The “why” keeps them playing

4. Focus On What You Can Control
• You are your best investment
• Put your energy into getting better

5. Saying “No” Is Your Superpower
• If everything’s a priority, nothing is
• “No” takes courage and creativity

6. Progress Over Perfection
• Waiting for perfect means waiting forever
• Act, learn, adjust, repeat

7. Conviction Beats Adversity
• Internal drive outlasts outside motivation
• No one’s watching as closely as you think

8. Imposter Syndrome Is A Growth Signal
• Growth happens at the edge of comfort
• The more time you spend there, the faster you grow

9. Closed Mouths Don’t Get Fed
• Not asking and “no” get you the same thing: nothing
• Asking gives you a shot at “yes”

10. Mistakes Are Not Failure
• The worst failure is never starting
• The second worst is quitting too soon

11. 80% Of Success Is Selection
• Effort matters, but it’s not enough
• Pick games you’re built to win

These 11 lessons are proof:
Small, relentless changes add up fast.

Which one hit home for you?
Drop your favorite in the comments ⬇️

♻️ Repost to help your network
🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more high-signal insights

 11 Ideas That Will Change Your Life

Most of what you do as a manager doesn’t matter.

These 5 levers will make or break you.

After 25 years of working with teams, 
The same pattern repeats:

Average managers try to do everything.
The great ones focus on what really matters.

These are the 5 factors every high-performing team gets right:

1. Clear Goal | Singular Focus
• If everything’s a priority, nothing is
• One mission everyone can recite from memory
• Make progress visible—post your key metrics publicly

2. Best People | Talent Density
• Filling seats with whoever’s available kills momentum
• Recruit constantly, raise the bar relentlessly
• Tap your top performers’ networks

3. Right Tools | Force Multipliers
• “We can’t afford good software” is an excuse
• Invest in systems that amplify talent
• Pre-approve any tool under $500/year

4. Least Friction | Ruthless Simplification
• “That’s how we’ve always done it” is a red flag
• Eliminate every unnecessary step and meeting
• Ask weekly: “What got in our way?”

5. Shortest Time | Speed as Strategy
• Waiting for perfect conditions means you’ll never act
• Run rapid experiments, learn fast
• Cut every cycle time in half—then do it again

The brutal truth:
Most teams have 3 out of 5 levers working.
Elite teams obsess over all 5, all the time.

One broken pillar pulls everyone down.

The diagnostic question:
Which lever is your bottleneck right now?

Fix that one first.
Everything else multiplies from there.

Want more practical frameworks like this?

Subscribe to the MGMT Playbook. 
My free weekly newsletter for leaders who want to level up.

https://mgmt.beehiiv.com

♻️ Share to help leaders focus on what matters
🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more practical leadership insights

The 8020 of Management

Justin M. Nassiri

I’m the Founder and CEO of Executive Presence, where we help leaders build trust, visibility, and influence through authentic executive thought leadership on LinkedIn.

In just over three years, we've bootstrapped past $3M ARR, partnered with more than 250 executives, and conducted more than 750 CEO interviews. When leaders show up consistently in their own voice, their entire company benefits.

Most executives already have a network that trusts them. They just lack a system that keeps them top of mind. My team and I help them articulate what they believe, stay relevant in moments that matter, and expand their influence to hire better, sell faster, raise capital, and shape their industry's narrative.

Our work is built around three principles:

• Authenticity: capture the leader’s real voice and worldview
• Efficiency: require as little as 90 minutes of their time each month
• Measurability: track progress weekly with clear KPIs and outcomes

I work with CEOs, founders, and senior executives at high-growth companies who want their leadership to be an asset that compounds.

My own path shapes how I think about leadership, communication, and influence:

• Officer aboard nuclear submarines, leading teams of more than 200 in high-stakes environments
• Stanford MBA and three-time founder
• Former CEO of StoryBox, funded by Eric Schmidt and used by over 1,000 brands
• Host of the 450-episode leadership and career podcast Beyond the Uniform

Every role taught me the same lesson: Executives are among a company’s most underutilized assets. When leaders communicate with clarity and consistency, they elevate culture, attract talent, deepen trust, and move their industries forward.

My work at Executive Presence is about helping leaders do exactly that - authentically, efficiently, and with measurable results.

CEO ◆ We turn leaders into thought leaders

We specialize in helping top-tier executives boost their visibility, activate their network, and position themselves as thought leaders via our premium, fully-managed LinkedIn service.

Our unique process involves ex-McKinsey, BCG, and Bain consultants conducting monthly hour-long interviews with our clients, and turning them into impactful daily LinkedIn posts to establish their unique voice and authority. 

We've helped over 100 CEOs become thought leaders. On average, our clients see a 500% bump in engagement in their first 30 days with us. Data is continuously analyzed to improve engagement and identify impactful messaging that you can use for conferences, podcasts, and internal communications.

The best company doesn't always win.

The best-known company does.

Critical business outcomes are decided before the facts are fully evaluated.

When a buyer is choosing between you and a competitor, they're not running a feature-by-feature analysis. They're asking: Do I trust this leader?

When a senior engineer is weighing two offers, they look up the CEO first. Is this someone I want to follow?

When an investor is evaluating your round, they're betting on you, not just your numbers. If you're invisible, you're a question mark.

While you're heads down doing great work in private, your competitors are building perception in public. And they're eating your lunch.

You don't need to become an influencer. 
You don't need to love the spotlight.

You need to show up consistently where your stakeholders already are, with a point of view that makes your leadership visible.

Because when decisions are being made, the leaders already in the conversation have an enormous advantage over those who aren't.

The market doesn't reward the best. It rewards the best perceived.

And if you're not willing to shape that perception, someone else will shape it for you - or worse, you won't have one at all.

CEO @ Executive Presence | Executive LinkedIn Strategy | Say Something Worth Reading

The other day, I was sitting down with my leadership team and feeling the anticipatory anxiety of impending criticism.

In past years, maybe I would have let this anxiety push me towards reactivity and negativity.

But before this conversation, I found myself recognizing the anxious feeling I had coming up - and not only recognizing it, but relaxing into it.

My team and I wound up having an honest, direct, and productive discussion.

What’s my secret?

It’s a side effect of personal growth work: improved capacity for leadership growth.

I’ve invested in retreats, therapy, and men’s groups over the years as a way to work on my own healing and improve my emotional regulation.

And as I’ve gone through these experiences, I’ve gotten better at noticing my emotions and reactions in personal settings.

This skill has, thankfully, translated to professional settings.

It has expanded my ability to tolerate discomfort - a major leadership requirement that isn’t in the same category as reading a P&L or building a sales process. 

It’s something much more challenging, in my opinion…and it can really only come with intentional, often personal, work.

So I’m glad I invest so much time and energy into personal growth.

Without it, I don’t think I’d be giving myself the best chance to make progress as a leader.

PS: I spoke more about this and other leadership lessons on The Failure Gap Podcast with host Julie Williamson, PhD. Thanks for having me on, Julie!

Every single year, while my team celebrated, I felt a quiet dread.

For three years straight, EP grew in revenue, headcount, and clients - something that’s abnormal for startups. I knew turbulence was coming. I just didn't know when. 

And I kept wondering whether my team would panic or lose faith in what we were building when it finally arrived.

This year, I finally got my answer.

2025 hit us hard. Sales slowed, we lost clients, and we lost employees. There were moments on Zoom calls where I could feel people wondering if the company was in trouble and whether they needed to be worried about their jobs.

We hit a lot of the checkboxes of the worst things that can happen at a company, and they all seemed to happen in the same year.

But somewhere around midyear, things started to turn. Sales picked up again. We had our most profitable quarter ever in Q4. And the team that stayed became stronger and more aligned than we'd ever been.

For four years, I carried this fear that my team hadn't been tested. But that fear is gone now, because everyone on this team has seen the hard stuff and chosen to keep building with me.

And now, I trust them more than I ever have.

You're already saying things worth posting on LinkedIn.

You're saying them on sales calls, in team meetings, in one-on-ones - you're just not capturing them.

Our long-term clients have figured this out. They show up to interviews with notes from the week - "I had a conversation on Tuesday I want to talk through" or "A prospect asked me something I've never thought about before."

In other words, they've developed the habit of noticing when they say something worth sharing - and you can build that habit too. 

Start by recording your next sales call and reading the transcript a few days later.

I'd bet you find at least one idea worth posting.

Why speaking unlocks ideas that writing buries Most executives I work with can talk about their expertise for an hour without breaking a sweat. Put th

Open article: You're Already Saying Things Worth Posting
 by Justin M. Nassiri • 4 min read

You're Already Saying Things Worth Posting

Over half of the executives I talk to can't answer a simple question: if LinkedIn works for you, how will you know?

They're excited to start posting, and they agree it matters. But they haven't defined what success looks like, so six months later, they quit because they have no idea if their effort is paying off.

I've been doing this work for years now. Lasting on LinkedIn comes down to three things: a why that's bigger than yourself, a clear definition of success, and a system that runs without motivation.

Why most executives quit LinkedIn before it pays off I ask every prospective client the same question: if LinkedIn works for you, how will you know? O

Open article: Three Things That Determine Whether You'll Still Be Posting on LinkedIn in Two Years by Justin M. Nassiri • 4 min read

Three Things That Determine Whether You'll Still Be Posting on LinkedIn in Two Years

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The Battle

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The Battle

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Justin M. Nassiri

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dave Kline's LinkedIn Performance

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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDave Kline's LinkedIn Performance