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

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

Promotion is not preparation. Most managers step into leadership having mastered their craft, but with no training in the actual job of managing people.My husband Dave and I built MGMT Accelerator and MGMT Fundamentals to fix that. Together we've coached 1,400+ managers into leaders their teams actually want to follow. From Google, Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater, Nvidia, Amazon, and Uber to managers at a range of start-ups and small businesses.Two coaches. 30+ combined years of experience. One approach: live, practical, frameworks to help you deliver and get home for dinner.My own training ground? I started as an engineer who preferred to present. A Wall Street chapter immersed in high performance. Craved sales experience and joined Google. Becoming a parent made me a more patient and thoughtful leader. And I study teams and locker room speeches. Sport is management with a scoreboard.Each week we send The MGMT Playbook to 57K leaders. Practical insights and systems you can use the same day.Become the leader you would follow. Faster. Start with MGMT Fundamentals or apply for MGMT Accelerator. Links in my featured section.DM me with any questions.I use AI to create time. I use that time to respond to notes. No bots. Just me. After all, management is personal.Helpful links:MGMT Playbookhttps://mgmt.beehiiv.com/MGMT Fundamentals (new managers)https://maven.com/dave-kline/mgmt-fundamentalsMGMT Acceleator (experienced managers)https://maven.com/dave-kline/mgmt-accelerator

Marsden Kline

"Fine" was never the goal.
Everyone's quick to point fingers.
Few are willing to roll up sleeves.

It can be easy to walk past a problem.
Or whisper a complaint.

In fact, this seems to be celebrated by many.

But I'm inspired by those who who ask:

"How can I make this better?"

At work, they don't simply meet to check the box.
They debate and decide.

In the gym, they don't practice just to practice.
They endeavor to improve.

When projects fall behind, they step up.
When quality slips, they raise the bar.
When someone's struggling, they make time.

This isn't about doing everyone else's job.
It's about refusing to accept mediocre as normal.

This isn't blind optimism.
It's a better default.

And this doesn't mean always having dinner at your desk.

Use your courage and creativity.
Create a Loom instead of a 20 page deck.

You may have learned through hazing and late nights.
But is that the best way?

Help someone skip mistakes.
Challenge the process that wastes everyone's time.

The world has enough people who shrug and say "not my problem."

Be someone who makes those around them better.

Because fine was never the goal.

♻️ Share to help someone
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for more

--
If you are the average of the 5 people you spend time with, 
Choose carefully.
Be in rooms that make you better.

Never underestimate leaders who make time to learn.
Jon our top-rated programs.

For new managers:
https://lnkd.in/gCwT7kU7

For experienced managers:
https://lnkd.in/eTYt-ZXJ

Most managers are set up to fail. 60% do. We’ve coached 1,400 who chose differently. | Co-Founder, MGMT Accelerator & Fundamentals

Most managers fail.
Not because they lack talent.
But because they lack a clear map.

They crush their individual role.
They are rewarded with a team to manage.
What they actually receive:

• No training
• No playbook
• No clarity

More responsibilities.
New variables.

Here's the next problem:

Each level of management isn't just different.
It's a completely new game.

Mistakes become more costly.
Here's the pattern we see:

Team Lead:
• Dodging hard conversations
• Clinging to their old work
• Ignoring early warning signs
• Failing to set boundaries
• Prioritizing popularity over performance

Manager:
• Hiring too fast, firing too slow
• Choosing easy over effective
• Tolerating mediocre performance
• Not developing successors
• Fumbling organizational politics

Manager of Managers:
• Missing strategic opportunities
• Building silos, not bridges
• Fighting the wrong battles
• Getting lost in the weeds
• Hoarding information

But beneath all three levels?
Core skills that separate the best:

Emotional Intelligence
→ Handling conflict professionally
→ Managing up effectively
→ Reading the room

Quality Decisions
→ Gathering the right information
→ Moving at the right speed
→ Owning the outcome

Clear Communication
→ Right audience
→ Right message
→ Right timing

Strategic Thinking
→ Trading good for great
→ Anticipating what others miss
→ Connecting dots

Team Development
→ Building bench strength
→ Spotting hidden talent
→ Creating growth paths

Master these foundations.
Use them to avoid expensive mistakes.

Your team will thank you.

♻️ Share to help someone skip a mistake
🔔 Follow Marsden Kline for daily insights
guide by: Dave Kline

--
Success as a manager shouldn't be a coin flip.
Learn from our mistakes.

Become the leader you would follow. Faster.
Join the MGMT Accelerator
https://lnkd.in/eTYt-ZXJ

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

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The Battle

Dave 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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