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.

The soft skills are sometimes the hardest.

Which is why they're so valuable.

Think about the best person you worked with.
- The one who quietly set the standard.
- The one who made everyone else better. 
- The one you'd want to bring with you.

What made them stand out?

Yes, they were good at their job. 
But there was something more.

It was how they showed up. 

4 Underrated Career Skills:

1. Raise the Energy of the Room
→ Make others feel more capable, not less
→ Add enthusiasm when it's absent
→ Choose optimism

2. Be Enjoyable to Work With
→ Create calm in chaos
→ Blend excellence with enjoyment
→ Become everyone's "go-to" resource

3. Keep Your Commitments
→ Replace "I'll try" with "I will"
→ Build trust through reliable delivery 
→ Promise carefully, deliver consistently

4. Lead Regardless of Title
→ Tackle the problems others avoid
→ Take initiative before it's obvious
→ Make decisions that prioritize progress

The truth about these skills:

They're 100% your choice.
Only 1% do all 4.

And that's your opportunity.

Simple ≠ Easy
That's why it works.

And yes, AI is changing everything. 
Including making these skills more valuable.

⬇️ Which skill has helped your career most?

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more
♻️ Share to help others grow

Your team doesn't need you to have all the answers,

As long as you ask the right questions. 

Here are 20 questions that:

- Uncover meaningful problems
- Unlock the team's potential
- Unleash breakthrough results

And what you should listen for...

THE WORK (And How Work Gets Done)

1. What does excellence look like?
2. How do we measure success?
3. Name our three critical priorities.
4. Where do you get blocked?
5. Which processes feel unnecessary?

What to listen for:
Can they define exceptional work with specificity? 
Do they know what truly matters versus what's just noise? 
Will they challenge inefficient processes? 

Great teams have clarity and the courage to stay focused.

ENGAGEMENT (What Drives People)

6. What energizes you most?
7. How do you prefer feedback?
8. What skills do you want to build?
9. When were you most proud?
10. Where do you want to be in one year?

What to listen for:
Where does their natural energy flow? 
Do they invite improvement or avoid it? 
Are they driving their own development with purpose? 

Great teams have energy and raise everyone else's.

ALIGNMENT (Staying Connected)

11. How does your work impact our mission?
12. What's our biggest opportunity?
13. Where do you see team friction?
14. What information would help you?
15. What should we stop doing?

What to listen for:
Do they see their strategic value beyond their task list? 
Can they spot future wins and surface hard truths? 
Will they challenge the status quo? 

Great teams have a shared mission and the systems to compound.

MOMENTUM (Progress & Patterns)

16. What's our best improvement this quarter?
17. Where are we falling behind?
18. What problems keep returning?
19. Which changes worked best?
20. "What one change would help most?

What to listen for:
Do they build on wins or just move to the next thing? 
Will they flag real risks honestly? 
Can they spot systemic issues versus one-off problems? 

Great teams have direction and an unstoppable desire to improve.

Remember:

The secret isn't in asking the questions.
It's listening deeply to what follows.

Great questions reveal the truth.
Great leaders do something about it.

Helpful?

🔔 Follow us (Dave Kline and Marsden Kline) for more.
♻️ Share to help others lead with better questions.

The 20 Question to Lead Your Team

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

It's easy to talk about being relentless.

But what does it look like?

I've watched this countless times since last night.
I've shown it to my kids.

You don't need to be a football fan to appreciate this.

Watch Cowboys rookie Alijah Clark (#30).
He never gives up.

Result?
Turnover.
Cowboys ball.

A lot is written about
↳ Actions over words
↳ Showing up for your team
↳ Finding a way, not an excuse

But this is what it actually looks like.

Clark wasn't drafted.

He was cut, resigned, and earned his way onto the field.

No guarantees. 
Just hustle.

Leadership isn't about your title.

It's about your effort
When no one expects you to give more.

♻️ Share to inspire someone
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

-
Get inspired outside of the office
Join 56k+ leaders and subscribe
https://mgmt.beehiiv.com/

Attention is Currency

Your quiet presence speaks volumes.

You could choose to watch the recording.

What does it say when something is so important, 
you prioritize being there?

Uncommon effort stands out.

Drake Maye was a coveted high school football recruit.
There are 100s of hours of tape on his performance.

Anyone can watch those.

But what sort of football coach shows up to watch him play basketball?
One who leads differently.

In a world of endless distractions,
Give others your undivided attention.

We can all learn from this.

How did you show up this week?
• Camera on in the optional meeting?
• Fully present in that 1:1?
• Thoughtful dinner conversations?

Think about your best boss.
Think about your best teacher.
Think about your best mentor.

What do they have in common?
They showed up.
They paid attention.

So did it work out?

Maye initially committed to Alabama.
Then chose UNC to stay closer to home.
Alabama had recruited another quarterback, too.

And that's the deeper lesson:
The best leaders show up anyway.

Without guarantee.
Without condition.
Without immediate return.

Because this investment isn't transactional.
It's about being fully present:

Your attention says:

"I believe in your potential."

Not simply:

"I believe in what you can do for me."

The return on your time isn't certain.

Show up anyway.
Be present anyway.
Invest anyway.

♻️ Share to help someone 
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

Photo credit: Scott Taylor/Myers Park High School

--
Join 50k+ leaders.
Get inspiration from outside the office.
https://lnkd.in/exr3TcKt

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

A KPI from last week: 0.

Zero playoff games missed.

Dave and I are partners in all things.

Parents, co-founders.
Carpool drivers, cooks.

There are endless shiny objects.
It's easy to covet someone else's success.

But, for us, one sentence quiets the noise:

"Remember what we are playing for."

Present for our partners. 
Present for our kids.

Ideas in the attached carousel were built over time.

Scribbled on whiteboards
Revisuted on long walks.
Sited at the end of long days

A few principles of a new playbook
(swipe throuhg the carousel for the full list):

Listen for the "Hell Yes"
↳ Stop grinding through other people's priorities
↳ Maximize time spent in your flow state

Prioritize Family Connection
↳ Stop saying, "I'll find time once I'm done"
↳ Default to "yes" when you are asked to play

Find Your Zone of Genius
↳ Stop getting rewarded for easy work you hate
↳ Start doubling down on what lights you up

Gift others your Undivided Attention
↳ Stop drifting into "what's next"
↳ Start being fully where your feet are

What's on your scoreboard?
What should be?

♻️ Share to inspire someone
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

--
Challenge your default metrics
Join 50k+ leaders and subscribe
https://mgmt.beehiiv.com/

10 Full Life Metrics

"Tell the truth. For 3 days."

The results were unexpected.

We avoid hard conversations.
We justify this as being kind.

But what if our instinct is wrong?

Researchers at Chicago Booth and Carnegie Mellon tested it.

"Be completely honest in every conversation for 3 days."

The findings revealed a painful truth:

Our "kindness" isn't kind at all.
It's creating hidden costs that damage our teams.

Here is what the team observed:

Expected impact:
• Damaged relationships
• Permanent social costs
• Losing connection

Reality:
• Social bonds strengthened
• Trust deepened faster
• Communication improved

It is easy to say "clear is kind."

But, in practice, we can delay honesty.

The Hidden Cost of "Nice"

1. The Meeting Trap
• Attend pointless meetings "to be nice"
• Real Cost: 4 hours/week of team drain

2. The Feedback Loop
• Soften crucial feedback "to protect"
• Real Cost: Problems compound silently

3. The Performance Dance
• Hint at issues indirectly
• Real Cost: Top performers leave

4. The Culture Cover
• Allow poor behavior "they're valuable"
• Real Cost: Good people disengage

5. The Weight of Waiting
• Delay tough news "waiting for right time"
• Real Cost: Trust erodes slowly

Instead:

Start With Stakes
• "This matters because..."
• "I care enough to be direct"

Name The Reality
• "Here's what I'm seeing..."
• "The impact is..."

Build The Bridge
• "What support do you need?"
• "Let's solve this together"

Remember:

Don't say anything about someone
That you wouldn't say to them.

♻️ Share to help someone
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more.

Research Note:
Based on research by Emma Levine (Chicago Booth) and Taya Cohen (Carnegie Mellon University).

--
High-performing teams embrace feedback.

Here is one of our most shared playbooks to help:
https://lnkd.in/e5UX24WZ

There are two types of managers we remember.

The person who built you up.
And the one who broke you down.

One accelerated your career.
One crushed your confidence.

Each leader has their own style.
Here's how to be remembered for all the right reasons:

Courage: Own Their Failures
↳ Their first response to failure: "That's on me"
↳ Their second response: "Here's what we'll fix"
↳ Their consistent message: "We learn and grow"

Purpose: Care Enough to Be Clear
↳ They replace confusion with direction
↳ They make the implicit explicit
↳ They'd rather be clear than comfortable

Vision: Hold High Standards
↳ They don't negotiate with mediocrity
↳ They know potential grows at the edge of comfort
↳ They make excellence feel achievable

Leadership: Make Order From Chaos
↳ They don't just survive chaos - they simplify it
↳ They build systems that scale
↳ They create calm in complexity

Foresight: Proactively Anticipate What's Needed
↳ They see around corners
↳ They prevent fires, not just fight them
↳ They play chess while others play checkers

Character: Never Compromise Values
↳ They choose right over easy
↳ They live their standards daily
↳ They show integrity isn't situational

Recognition: Give Credit to Those Who Earned It
↳ They shine spotlights, not take them
↳ They celebrate progress, not just outcomes
↳ They make success visible

Wisdom: Balance Accountability & Understanding
↳ High standards + deep empathy
↳ Push for growth + provide support
↳ Drive results + develop people

We remember great managers like coaches.

They saw your potential before you did.

Who accelerated your career?
Tag them. 
Thank them.

♻️ Share to inspire someone
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more
📌 Save this for reference

--
Become the leader you would follow.
Faster.

Our top-rated programs are 25% off through Monday.

For new managers: MGMT Fundamentals
https://lnkd.in/eTsWu5FH

For experienced managers: MGMT Accelerator
https://lnkd.in/et8sS2M4

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The Battle

Dave Kline

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The Battle

Dave Kline

Marsden Kline

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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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