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.

9 Signs Your Team Might Be Toxic

(And it's costing you more than you think)

No team is perfect.

But there's a critical difference between:
Temporary Discomfort and Permanent Dysfunction.

The ❌'s reveal the hidden damage.
The ✅'s show you what excellence looks like.

The more signs you recognize,
The faster you need to move.

Good People Leave
❌ Your best talent quits, replaced by whoever applies
✅ A-players recruit and develop other A-players

Mediocre People Stay
❌ Average becomes the accepted norm
✅ Excellence is supplied, recognized, and multiplied

Conflict Never Gets Fully Resolved
❌ Tension builds privately until it erupts publicly
✅ Problems are surfaced, discussed, and solved

The War Inside Our Walls
❌ Departments compete instead of collaborating
✅ Everyone focuses on beating external competition

Decisions Get Made and Unmade
❌ Choices get revisited endlessly, killing momentum
✅ Decisions are made, with clear owners and follow-through

Questions Are Met With Silence
❌ Information is hoarded for leverage and protection
✅ Knowledge is shared openly to strengthen everyone

Feedback is Nonexistent
❌ People guess at their performance without clarity
✅ Consistent, direct feedback accelerates growth

Tomorrow Never Comes
❌ Promises are made but never kept
✅ Commitments today become results tomorrow

Success Is Accidental
❌ Wins are downplayed, high standards feel threatening
✅ Success is analyzed, replicated, and built into systems

The opposite of a toxic environment is a high-performing one. 

Building one requires:  
✅ the right people, 
✅ the right systems, 
✅ and the right leader. 

Our MGMT Accelerator will help you become one faster. 

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFwuqzh3

See why 1,400+ leaders said it was worth 25x what they paid.

Remember:
If you're quietly tolerating a toxic team,
You're slowly becoming part of the problem.

You either shape your environment or it shapes you.
Choose to be the catalyst, not the casualty.

♻️ Please repost to help others.
✅ And follow Dave Kline for more.

9 Signs You Might Have a Toxic Team

One choice hurts more managers than any other:

The 'More People' Paradox.

Here's what it is and how to avoid it...

Most teams fall into this pattern:

❌ Problem →
❌ Add People →
❌ More Complexity →
❌ Bigger Problems →
❌ Add Even More People

In an effort to add capacity,
They drown themselves in complexity.

Here's the trap: 

Capacity grows linearly. 
Complexity grows exponentially. 

High-performing teams know this. 
They choose a different path: 

❌ Problem →
✅ Diagnose →
✅ Delete, Simplify, or Automate →
✅ Refocus & Execute →
✅ Scale

Why does this order change things? 
Pruning is required for healthy growth.

They fix the model to scale. 
They don't hope scale fixes the model. 

Ask these 3 questions before you hire:

1️⃣ What could we stop doing?
• Nice-to-have projects
• Low-impact meetings
• Redundant reports

2️⃣ What are we overcomplicating?
• Communication channels
• Project workflows
• Decision making

3️⃣ What are we avoiding?
• Technology improvements
• Difficult conversations
• Priority decisions

BONUS: What could AI handle?
• Document processing
• Standard responses
• Data aggregation
• Routine analysis

✅ Remember:
Our optimal path to greater success...
Doing half as much, twice as well.

If this post resonated with you...
🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more
♻️ Share to help others go big by thinking small

PS - We have another free AI-Enhanced Leader workshop coming up. 
"Build Your AI-Powered Leadership Coach in 30 Minutes"
Join 352 leaders already signed up: https://lnkd.in/guyyAMdN

Managing up doesn't require sucking up.

If you know how to do it right.

Managing up isn't about:
• Power
• Politics
• Persuasion

It's about building a relationship with your boss.
And making them successful while you do it.

And that starts by knowing who your manager is.

Here are 3 common manager archetypes
(and how to speak their language):

The Relentless Micromanager
• Needs to control every detail
• Constantly checks in for updates
• Language: High-velocity details before they ask

The Volatile Visionary
• Focuses on big ideas and long-term goals
• Everything is extreme: failure or excellence
• Language: Contrarian insights tied to their vision

The Disconnected Diva
• Out of touch with day-to-day operations
• Doesn't understand frontline challenges
• Language: Repeatable stories that connect dots

Once you know who you're talking to,
You can apply a range of practical tactics. 

The carousel below has one proven tactic
To overcome 10 common objections to managing up.

Swipe through and give one a try.

Make your boss's goals your goals, and three things happen:
• You get more support for your team
• You get more opportunities for growth
• You get more autonomy in your decisions

This isn't politics. 
This is partnership.

Want help applying this skill?

Join MGMT Fundamentals starting next Tuesday.

"Managing Up" is one of the 6 core skills we teach.

• One hour a day over two weeks.
• Critical Skills + Proven Systems. 
• Group coaching to unlock your challenge.

Enrollment closes in 3 days: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5

Join 33 leaders looking to level up.

♻️ Share this to help a new manager.

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more leadership insights.

How to Manage Up (and get what you deserve)

Most new managers fail (nearly 60%). 

Not because they aren't capable. 

It's because they focus on the wrong things. 

Here's what I wish someone had told me:

1. Define a Clear Mission

Average teams execute tasks.
High-performing teams drive outcomes.

Your team needs to know:
• Why their work matters
• How it impacts the company
• What winning looks like

Test: Can each person explain the mission in one sentence?

2. Hire Slowly, Fire Fast

High performers want to work with high performers.

Never compromise on:
• Proven ability to deliver
• Self-direction and ownership
• Character over credentials

One A-player is worth three B-players.
One C-player destroys team standards.

3. Give Earned Autonomy

Top talent doesn't need micromanagement.

Define the outcome, not the process.

Let them:
• Set their schedule
• Choose their methods
• Make meaningful decisions

Your job: Remove obstacles, not create them.

4. Protect Their Time

Meetings are overhead, not output.

Only meet to:
• Align on priorities
• Solve blocking problems
• Make decisions

Default to async communication.
Protect their time to create value.

5. Kill Bureaucracy

High performers hate administrative waste.

Cut ruthlessly:
• Unnecessary approvals
• Redundant reporting
• Meeting theater

Ask: "Does this help us win or just look busy?"

6. Guard Their Focus

Concentration beats distraction.

Say no to:
• Random committees
• Shiny object syndrome
• Everything that's not the main thing

The best teams do half as much twice as well.

7. Track Outcomes, Not Activities

Set clear expectations.
Measure results, not hours.

Focus on:
• Results delivered
• Quality standards met
• Timeline commitments kept

Outputs matter more than inputs.

8. Remove Friction Daily

High performers solve problems relentlessly.

Will it be customer problems?
Or the ones you create?

Daily question: "What's slowing my team down?"

Then fix it immediately.

New managers succeed when talented people have:
• Clear direction
• High autonomy
• Zero friction

Want to start strong as a manager?

Get the training 85% of managers never receive.

MGMT Fundamentals starts January 27th.
10 hours over two weeks. The 80/20 skills and systems to lead effectively.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5

85% of managers get reimbursed by their company. Just ask.
Bonus: Bring a colleague and you both save 20%.

Come learn how to become a leader you'd follow.

♻️ Share this to help a new manager.

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more practical management insights.

 Quick Tips for New Managers

Success isn't determined by what you know.

It's determined by how fast you move.

And how quickly you adjust based on what you learn.

But before every action, there's a decision.
And before every decision, there's indecision. 

Those who win work from data: 
• Data from experience. 
• Data from customers. 
• Data from doing.

And they know: 

The faster you decide, the faster you learn.

Here are 7 simple tips to make better decisions:

Empty Your Mind
• Write down every swirling thought
• Focus only on your top 3 factors

Flip a Coin
• Not for the result, but for your reaction
• Your gut reveals the right answer

Find a Partner
• Direct partner shares the journey with you
• Trusted advisor shows the path ahead of you

Sell Then Build
• Get one real customer to pay first
• Let revenue validate your next step

Price Your Indecision
• Calculate what waiting costs you
• Compare it to the cost of choosing wrong

Only Commit to Today
• Skip the 10-year questions
• Answer one question today

Burn the Ships
• Make a call you can't reverse
• This meeting ends with a decision

Remember:

The faster you decide, the sooner you learn.

Indecision only creates one thing: anxiety.

Stop waiting for clarity.
Start creating it.

You can almost always go back.
But not without moving forward first.

Helpful?

✅ Follow Dave Kline for more.

♻️ Share to help others get unstuck.

7 Simple Ways to Make Better Decisions 

Everyone wants accountability.

No one wants to be held accountable.

This guide makes accountability the default mode.

Accountability is not something you do.
It's the outcome of doing things the right way.

Most leaders think accountability is about confrontation:
• Creating consequences for failure
• Calling people out in meetings
• Tracking every detail

That's not accountability.
That's micromanagement.

Real accountability happens when your people want to win. 
And your systems make it hard to fail.

Here are the 5 systems that make accountability automatic:

1. Crystal Clear Outcomes
Define success before you start. Vague goals create average results. Specific targets create clear accountability.

2. Visible Progress Tracking
Make progress public. When everyone can see the scoreboard, people naturally step up their game.

3. Regular Check-In Rhythms
Weekly reviews, not quarterly surprises. Frequent small course corrections beat big dramatic overhauls.

4. Ownership Assignment
One person owns each outcome. Shared ownership means no one is responsible.

5. Outcome Clarity
Know what happens when you hit the target and what happens when you miss. No surprises, no excuses.

The result?

Teams that hold themselves accountable.
Leaders who coach instead of complain.
Results that speak for themselves.

What's your biggest accountability challenge?

Getting people to own their results?
Having the hard conversations?
Making progress visible?

Steal my step-by-step playbook from the carousel below 👇

And make Mutual Accountability your team's default mode.

And if you found this playbook helpful: 

♻️ Share to help others build success through accountability
🔔 Follow Dave Kline & Marsden Kline for more leadership systems

PS - We've got our first free Lightning Lesson for 2026 on Thursday. 
"AI-Powered Planning: Get Buy-In, Stay Agile, and Win 2026"
Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gGGcRKMp

 Build a Culture of Accountability

Shawn Nason

Chief Executive Officer

We envision a world in which healthcare has no barriers.
We deliver equal access to care by connecting healthcare professionals and patients in local communities.

EX and CX are both broken.  
But it’s not because of tech or strategy.  

The real issue?  
Trust.  

Trust is the root of every experience.  
And it’s the first thing to disappear  
when leadership isn’t real.  

No title or tech can cover that up.  

Customer experience is suffering.  
Employee experience is suffering.  
And it’s not because of broken tools.  

It’s because people don’t feel safe.  
They don’t feel heard.  
They don’t feel seen.  

You can’t fix trust with a policy.  
You can’t outsource it to HR.  
You sure can’t automate it with AI.  

Yes, AI can streamline a process.  
It can help you listen better.  
But it can’t build connection.  

It won’t restore belief in your leadership.  
It won’t make your culture feel human again.  

Trust isn’t earned once.  
It’s built daily.  
Through presence, consistency, and action.  

→ Show up even when it’s messy.  
→ Speak truth before you’re ready.  
→ Lead with your values, not your fears.  

“Trust is the currency of customer experience.  
If you don’t have trust,  
you don’t have customers - or employees.”  
Blake Morgan  

Want to rebuild CX?  
Want to heal EX?  

Start with trust.  

Then bring in the tools.  
Not the other way around.  

Love & Gratitude, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
_____

♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

Your employees aren't separate from your customers.  
They are your first ones.  

Still treating CX and EX like separate strategies?  
That mindset is the real problem.  

In 2026, your brand isn’t shaped by your ads.  
It’s shaped by your people.  

Employees carry your reputation  
long before marketing ever does.  

Think about it:  

→ If your team doesn’t feel valued,  
   your customers won’t either.  

→ If your people aren’t bought in,  
   your market never will be.  
  
“Your employees are your first customer.  
If they don’t feel the love,  
your customers won’t either.”  
Zack Hamilton  

Here’s what most leaders still miss:  

→ CX starts with EX. Period.  
→ Loyalty is an inside-out equation.  
→ Culture isn’t a line item, it’s your brand.  

Now, let’s talk AI.  

Yes, AI can speed up service.  
It can personalize outreach.  

But it can’t build belief.  
It can’t replace trust.  
It can’t teach someone to care.  

You can automate responses.  
But you can't automate belonging.  

No tool will fix a culture  
your employees don't believe in.  

Want raving fans on the outside?  
Start with advocates on the inside.  

Love & Gratitude, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
_____

♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

EX and CX aren’t roles on your org chart.  
They are mirrors of your culture.  

In 2026, experience isn’t a strategy.  
It’s who you are.  

Your people don’t care about tech stacks.  
They care about how you make them feel.  

Yet most teams still ask:  
“What platform should we buy?”  

Wrong question.  

Experience isn’t found in a tool.  
It’s lived in every interaction.  

And AI won’t fix what your culture breaks.  

Sure, AI can streamline tasks.  
It can help you personalize at scale.  

But it can’t replace connection.  
It can’t lead with integrity.  
It can’t earn trust.  

“Customer experience is your brand.  
So, if you’re not intentionally creating  
remarkable experiences,  
you’re leaving it to chance.”  
Dan Gingiss, CSP  

We’ve built cultures where:  
→ CX is a checklist  
→ EX is an afterthought  
→ People are a means to an end  

That stops now.  

You don’t need a better dashboard.  
You need a better culture.  

You don’t need more automation.  
You need more humanity.  

CX and EX aren’t things you do.  
They’re the core of who you are.  

Want better journeys?  
Build better relationships.  

Love & Gratitude, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
_____
♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

AI won’t fix your experience problem.  
People will.  

At CES 2026, tech is taking center stage.  
But leadership still runs the show.  

Every brand is chasing smarter tools.  
But few are asking harder questions.  

→ What happens when you scale AI  
  without scaling empathy?  

→ How do you automate  
  without losing authenticity?  

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:  
If your experience is broken,  
your leadership probably is too.  

You can’t build loyalty  
on a foundation of shortcuts.  

AI is a tool — not a savior.  
And tools don’t fix culture.  

“Technology makes things possible.  
People make things happen.”  
— Shep Hyken  

Yes, AI can enhance journeys.  
Yes, it can drive efficiency.  

But it can’t teach you to listen.  
It can’t repair trust.  
It can’t replace presence.  

Too many leaders are hiding behind tech.  
Real leadership still looks human.  

The winners in 2026?  
They’ll lead with heart and head.  

→ They’ll use AI to serve, not to shield.  
→ They’ll prioritize people over platforms.  
→ They’ll stop chasing edge and start building trust.  

Because at the end of the day:  
Empathy is your real competitive advantage.  

Your Experience Evangelist, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation #marketing #entrepreneurship #personalbranding #socialnetworking #socialmedia #CES2026
_____
♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

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The Battle

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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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