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

💪Girl dad 🛋️Psychologist 🌅I pulled back from a prestigious (but overworked) clinical path to design a 6-figure career around my family 🤝🏾I help therapists build and make money from their online courses and podcasts

I didn’t grow up around business owners.
To be honest, I thought I’d do therapy and testing forever.

Then, in 2014, a snowstorm shut everything down. 

The power went out.
The roads froze.

I canceled 21 therapy sessions in one week.

We were saving for our first home.
And just like that, my income was gone.

So I started asking better questions.

A few months later, in March 2015, I launched a small podcast called Selling The Couch. 

No hype. Just showing up each week (and recording from a TV dinner stand from Walmart!).

Over time, it became:

• 🌍 A top 0.5% podcast worldwide
• 📊 1.92M+ downloads in 100+ countries
• 💛 A trusted space for thoughtful builders

Then life changed again.

Our daughter was born 7.5  weeks early.
The sounds of the NICU stayed with me as she struggled to make it.

That season taught me this:

How you build matters as much as what you build.

⸻

Today, I help thoughtful professionals grow without burning out.

So far:
• 🎧 245+ therapists launched podcasts
• 🧠 50+ founders built online courses
• 💰 $1M+ earned—while building around family and health

My own business is built around:

🥾 Hiking
🧩 Deep work
⛪ Church
⛳ Golf
💬 Time with the people I love

Because success that breaks your nervous system
isn’t success.

⸻

In fall 2025, I started learning to play golf. ⛳
I was 43.

It was a dream I’d had since I was eight.

I'm committed to weekly lessons with a PGA coach, hours of practice, and more hip mobility training that I know what to do with. 😅

Golf teaches me patience, pressure, and staying calm when it matters.

⸻

What I’m focused on now

Haven — a calm community for therapists building:
• 🎙️ Podcasts
• 📘 Courses
• 🎥 YouTube
• 🎤 Speaking + writing

No hustle culture.
Just steady progress.

👉 sellingthecouch.com/haven

I also write The Quiet Builder ✍️
A paid newsletter for people who want to build their careers around their lives and health.

⸻

Starting in Fall 2026, I'm working privately with people who make
high-stakes decisions under pressure—

where lives, capital, or influence
are on the line.

🩺 Doctors, Lawyers, and Surgeons
📈 Investors
🏗️ Founders
🏌️ Elite performers

The work is about one thing:

🧘 Identifying your unique performance blocks + staying calm when mistakes are costly.

⸻

If you’re building something meaningful and want to stay whole while doing it—let’s connect =).

Melvin Varghese, PhD

In March 2015, I hit “submit” on the Selling the Couch podcast to Apple.

There’s a video of it. 😅

I look happy.
Excited.
Confident.

But here’s the truth.

I was nervous.

At the time, I was working five and a half days a week as a psychologist.

Therapy.
Assessments.
Long days.

Podcasting felt risky.

I kept thinking:

How long will this take?
Will this even work?
When will I see a return?

That’s the hard part no one talks about.

We love the launch moment.
The logo.
The first episode.
The announcement post.

But ROI?

That part is slow.

For me, it took years — not months — before real opportunities showed up.

Sponsorships.
Course sales.
Partnerships.

And today?

Podcasting is more crowded.
More mainstream.
More competitive.

But here’s the twist: A lot of people are quitting.

Which means the opportunity is still there —
for the ones who stay.

Especially now, with Apple leaning into video podcasts.

So here’s the simple truth: 

If you’re starting a podcast, ask yourself-Can I commit to this for 2–3 years?

Not for applause.
Not for quick wins.
But for steady compounding.

In this week’s episode, I break down realistic timelines for podcast ROI — including when sponsorships usually become possible.

If you’re building something slow and meaningful, this one’s for you. 🙂

🎧 https://lnkd.in/emsVzYZr

𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥 (𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗔)

Alma makes it easier to take insurance, get paid, and their all-in-one system helps with scheduling, notes, and the business side of managing a solo practice. 

Alma's services also include access to consultation groups and CEU's.

2 Months FREE for STC fans: sellingthecouch.com/alma

Melvin Varghese PhD

Psychologist • Girl dad • Learning golf ⛳ | Helping therapists grow beyond the chair & Quiet Builders build life-first careers | Sharing the journey

When my friend, Justin, opened his private practice in December 2020,
he was sitting in the corner of his bedroom.

Using DoxyMe.
Sending invoices through Square.
Making “janky” documentation. 😅

His first client paid $75.

He once let someone haggle him down to $90.

Today?
He charges $225 a session and runs a group practice in Memphis.

Something I've noticed is that we compare our version one
to someone else’s version ten.

And then we freeze.

But confidence doesn’t come from thinking.

It comes from reps.

Justin didn’t wake up charging $225.

He raised his rates slowly.
Practiced saying the number out loud.
Grandfathered clients in.
Stopped haggling.
Kept showing up.

That’s what five years looks like.

Not glamorous.

Not viral.

Just steady.

In this week’s podcast, I sat down with Dr Justin Keith Dodson, Ph.D, LPC to unpack what he’s learned in five years — from solo practice to leading a team.

We talk about money.
Scaling.
Burnout.
Loneliness.
And what success actually looks like.

If you’re building something of your own, this one’s for you. 🙂

🎙 https://lnkd.in/eR8Gs5qE

𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥 (𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗔)

Alma makes it easier to take insurance, get paid, and their all-in-one system helps with scheduling, notes, and the business side of managing a solo practice. 

Alma's services also include access to consultation groups and CEU's.

2 Months FREE for STC fans: sellingthecouch.com/alma

No alternative text description for this image

Last night, I watched the Super Bowl halftime show.

The thing that struck me wasn’t just the music.
It was the set — the storefronts, the banana trees.
It reminded me of Kerala (India), where I grew up.

It made me think about how creativity works.

Not the showy kind.
The kind that takes time.
The kind you build piece by piece.

Stephen King once wrote that creativity doesn’t strike like lightning.
It shows up when you do.
Same time, same place.
Every day.

For me, that’s Friday mornings.
5:45 a.m.
The house is quiet.
Matcha in hand.
My wife and daughter still asleep.

Some mornings I’m half-asleep too —
our daughter had growing pains last week.
But I sit down anyway.
And I write.

Not to go viral.
But to stay steady.

Some of these little entries become The Quiet Builder newsletter.
Some will become book chapters.
Most will just stay on the page.

But that’s okay.
Because the real win is this:

I’ve stopped waiting for creativity to feel magical.
Now, I meet it like an old friend —
same time, same place, every Friday.

P.S. I recorded a Quiet Builder podcast this week that goes deeper into this.

It’s about why creativity needs safety — and why consistency beats hustle over the long game.

If you’re trying to create in a noisy world, I think it’ll speak to you. =)

https://lnkd.in/e47gx2WB

There are two beginners in our house right now. 😅

Our daughter is 7.
I’m 43.

We’re both learning golf.

Since September, I’ve been practicing about 10 hours a week.
Another 4-5 on strength and flexibility.

Last week she had the day off school.

Philly has been buried in snow, so we went to the indoor simulator where I train.

The heater hummed.
The screen glowed bright green.

We didn’t work on mechanics.

We tried to break digital glass.
We aimed for cartoon buckets.
We laughed when the ball rolled nowhere.

When I was at Vanderbilt, I saw a pattern often.

Kids of high achievers.
Playing elite sports.
Killing it in school.
Burned out by 19.

They had talent and ambition.

But somewhere along the way, they lost joy.

I didn’t fully understand that before I became a parent.

Now I do.

As a parent, you want to open doors.
You want to nurture potential.

But there’s a delicate line between encouragement
and pressure.

In psychology, we call it extrinsic motivation —
when the reward becomes the goal, and by extension, your identity.

The weird irony? Joy is the fuel that allows intrinsic motivation to grow.

The belief in yourself even if things don't always work out.

So we’re doing this differently.

We’re not training for the LPGA.

We’re building memories.

Inside jokes.
A rhythm that belongs to just us.

If skill comes, great.

But if her light stays on?

That’s the win.

A lot of us hit a quiet wall in our careers.

Not because we hate what we do.
Not because we’re failing.
Not because something is “wrong.”

But because the version of work that once fit...
doesn’t fit the same way anymore.

That can be confusing.

You’ve built skills.
You’ve done good work.
You’ve followed the plan.

So when something inside you starts to shift, the question creeps in:
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦?

This shows up across careers —
and it shows up a lot for therapists.

This week on the Selling the Couch podcast, I sat down with my friend, 𝗧𝗝 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗵, to talk about this moment.

TJ didn’t follow a straight line.
He started in art school, became a therapist, and now blends both into his work.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 —
𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄
𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗲’𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻.

We talked about:
 • why career evolution is normal
 • how clinging to one identity can quietly lead to burnout
 • and how giving yourself permission to change can bring relief

If you’re in a season where your work feels almost right —
but not quite —this conversation may help you feel less alone. <3

🎧 Making Peace with Your Next Becoming: https://lnkd.in/ecxuRt-f

𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥 (𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗔)

Alma makes it easier to take insurance, get paid, and their all-in-one system helps with scheduling, notes, and the business side of managing a solo practice. 

Alma's services also include access to consultation groups and CEU's.

2 Months FREE for STC fans: sellingthecouch.com/alma

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱?

We’re told:
 • Be on every platform
 • Grow your audience fast
 • Build a personal brand or get left behind

But here’s the problem:
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀.

☠️ Comparison
😵💫 Nervous system overload
🧠 Tying our worth to likes
🕵🏽♂️ Lost privacy
💔 And a quiet ache for validation we don’t want to admit

I’ve felt all of this over the last 11 years.
Even as our podcast grew to the top 0.5% in the world.

Here a few things I’ve learned:

📌 Fame doesn’t fix insecurity. It amplifies it.
📌 Influence carries weight—emotional, spiritual, relational.
📌 Public reach often costs you private peace.

So I’m intentionally trying to choose another path.

🧘🏽♂️ Slower growth
📞 Deeper conversations
🛡 Privacy for my family
🏌🏽♂️ Real-life connection (golf helps 😅)

Not because I’m hiding.
But because I’m protecting what matters most.

Recently, I recorded a podcast on why so many of us are done chasing social media fame.

Would love for you to listen (or watch): https://lnkd.in/eD2DkXuq

QUESTION: Would love to hear how you're balancing business growth with social media growth. 🙂

“If you build a great course, they’ll come.”

I wish that were true.

Since 2015, I’ve created multiple online courses.
Since 2022, I’ve helped therapists build theirs.

I’ve seen brilliant, research-backed courses fail.

Not because the content was bad.
But because connection was missing.

Here’s what most creators get wrong:

They obsess over the teaching videos.

Slides. Lighting. Perfect modules.

But the most important video isn’t inside the curriculum.

It’s the one right after someone buys.

The welcome video.

That’s the moment a student is wondering:

“Did I make the right decision?”

A simple, human message does more than 20 polished lessons.

“Hey, it’s Mel. Thank you for trusting me. If anything feels unclear, email me.”

That lowers refund anxiety.
That builds safety.
That keeps people engaged.

The second mistake?

We spend 80% of our energy on content.

When it’s often 20% content, 80% clarity and distribution.

If people don’t see it, they can’t benefit from it.

And finally:

Your course isn’t competing with other courses.

It’s competing with Netflix.
With clinical schedules.
With tired parents and inboxes.

So more content isn’t the answer.

Clearer paths are.

The best courses aren’t the deepest.

They’re the clearest.
The most human.
The most doable.

I go deeper into this in this week’s podcast episode.🙂

🎙️ https://lnkd.in/eTZsnUWr

Momentum is such a weird thing. 

When you've been building something for a while, momentum feels like proof.

It’s growing.
It’s working.
So it must be right.

But there’s a quieter question underneath:

How do I know I’m building the right thing before it’s too late?

I’ve learned this — as a psychologist and as someone who’s been building for over a decade:

𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿
𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲.

One signal I watch now?

My nervous system.

Does the work feed me —or deplete me?

Do I wake up curious?
Or just afraid of falling behind?

High achievers mistake motion for meaning.

But the real question is simpler: Is this still me?

Not the version from five years ago.

The one I am now.

This tension is what made me record this week's Quiet Builder episode.

If you’re wondering whether you’re building the right thing —
this one’s for you. 

Link in the comments. 🙂

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The Battle

Dave Kline

Melvin Varghese, PhD

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The Battle

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