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

Shawn Nason

PatientPoint®

We empower better health. PatientPoint® is a leading digital health company that connects patients, healthcare providers and life sciences companies with the right information in the moments care decisions are made to influence patient behavior and empower better health.

Chief of Staff / Head of Experience

Nason Group

Embrace Your Fire: Unleashing Authentic Voices To Transform The World, One Heartset At A Time

In the heart of every thought leader lies a powerful story, a unique journey that has the potential to ignite change and inspire others. This journey of self-discovery and expression is not just about finding your voice; it's about amplifying it in a way that humanizes, connects, and transforms.

Thought Leader & Coach

MOFI (Boutique Design Firm)

MOFI is a human-obsessed boutique design firm passionate about reimagining Experience Ecosystems.

We know that businesses are more than org charts, strategy documents, and mission statements. They’re living, breathing ecosystems filled with people and people-driven processes that make an impact on the world. 

We refuse to look at one piece of the puzzle (customer service, employee experience, vendor relationships, leadership, culture, marketplace awareness, etc.) without engaging your entire Experience Ecosystem as we tackle the biggest and hairiest experience, innovation, and culture challenges that you can send our way. 

Why? Because we we’re more interested in long-term results than innovation theater.

Let's Tear Down Your Experience Silos Together

An Experience Ecosystem™ is the web of people, touchpoints, and interactions that combine to define your Experience Promise™. To leverage experience as a competitive advantage—one that increases engagement, loyalty, and revenue year after year—requires engaging and humanizing the entire ecosystem.

An Experience Promise™ is a concise explanation of what you want the people in your Experience Ecosystem™ to experience on an emotional level and what you want to do to bring this experience to life.

Founder, Chief Experience Officer

The Combustion Chronicles Podcast

Host

Fast Company Executive Board

Executive Board Member

Statra

Board Member & Advisor

OFFOR Health

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.

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Kesem

Strategic Advisor

Social Saturday Squad

Volunteer

Forbes Business Council

Official Member

Chief Executive Officer

“Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” - Brené Brown  

It’s Monday. The air’s cold, the coffee’s hot, and if you’re anything like me, the week ahead is already testing your mindset.  

But here’s the truth I’ve learned over and over again - leadership isn’t about charging into the week with all the answers. It’s about beginning with connection.  

When I forget that, I slip into “doing” mode - chasing outcomes, solving problems, fighting dragons instead of kissing them. But when I pause and connect first - to my team, my purpose, even to myself - everything flows differently. The energy shifts. Walls come down. People bring their whole selves to the table.  

Heart-centered leadership isn’t soft. It’s powerful. It’s what keeps us resilient when the world gets messy.  

So, as this week begins, take a breath and ask yourself:  
➡️ Who needs to feel seen by you today?  
➡️ Where can you slow down long enough to really listen?  
➡️ How can you bring warmth to a cold moment?  

Start this Monday by leading with your heart. Send the text. Check in on your team. Remind someone they matter. Those small, intentional acts of connection will become the spark that fuels your entire week.  

Because when we start with connection, everything else follows.

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

♻️ Repost to help your network. 
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on customer & employee experience, service design, and CX & EX in AI.

If You Get The HUMAN EXPERIENCE Right. You Will Get The NUMBERS You Need | 2X CRC Cancer Thriver & Advocate | Former Walt Disney Imagineer | Heart-Centered Executive | BIPOC & Neurodiversity Advocate

"People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou  

In a world being reshaped by AI, I find myself coming back to this truth more than ever. Early in my journey leading customer and employee experience, I learned that no matter how advanced our tools or systems become, what people remember most is how we make them feel.  

I remember walking through one of our offices years ago during a major transformation project. The technology was changing fast, but what really changed the game was when we started listening to people - really listening. 

When we made space for their stories, fears, and ideas, the energy shifted. That human connection became the foundation for everything else, including how we began using AI to enhance experiences rather than replace them.  

AI can process data faster than any of us, but it can’t replicate empathy. It can help us know people better, anticipate their needs, and personalize interactions, but it’s still up to us to make them feel seen, valued, and cared for. That’s the essence of the experience ecosystem: humans and technology working together to create meaning.  

As leaders, we have to ensure that the heart doesn’t get lost in the code. The principle of “Know Me, Surprise Me, and Care For Me” still stands - it’s just evolved. AI can help us deliver on those promises more deeply, but it’s our humanity that brings them to life.  

This week, lead with heart in the age of AI. Use the tools at your fingertips to connect, not just communicate. Ask yourself, how will you make someone feel genuinely valued today?  

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

♻️ Repost to help your network. 
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on customer & employee experience, service design, and CX & EX in AI.

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt  

It’s Monday, and if you’re anything like me, that rope might already feel a little frayed. The pace of change, especially in this new world of AI, can make even the most seasoned leaders wonder if they can keep up. 

But here’s the truth: the power of the experience ecosystem, connecting people, purpose, and technology, comes alive when we hang on and keep learning.  

I’ve seen this firsthand. When AI started reshaping the way we design experiences, I’ll admit I felt overwhelmed. It wasn’t just about new tools; it was about new mindsets. But what grounded me then, and still does today, is remembering that technology only amplifies the human experience we build into it. 

AI doesn’t replace connection; it depends on it!

In the experience ecosystem, resilience means holding steady as we learn how humans and machines can coexist beautifully. It means leading teams through uncertainty with empathy and curiosity, not fear. When we hang on through the messy middle, we discover how to use AI to make people feel known, valued, and understood, not just processed.  

So as this week begins, tie your knot. Hang on to your purpose, your people, and your belief that technology should serve humanity, not the other way around.  

How will you use AI this week to make the human experience better? Hang on to that question. Let it guide your leadership, your design, and your heart.  

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

♻️ Repost to help your network. 
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on customer & employee experience, service design, and CX & EX in AI.

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you." – Walt Whitman  

When I think about leading in this new world of AI, this quote hits differently. The sunshine is possibility. The shadows are fear. And as leaders, where we choose to look determines what follows.  

Throughout my career leading experience transformation, I’ve learned that energy is contagious. When I brought optimism, curiosity, and belief into the room, teams found the courage to try things that once felt impossible. 

The same is true now as AI reshapes how we live and work. The technology itself is neutral. What gives it power is the heart and intention behind it.  

I remember one project where my team was hesitant about using AI in our customer experience. They worried it would feel cold or impersonal. Instead of focusing on the fear, we focused on the light. 

We asked, “How can this technology help us serve people better?” That small shift changed everything. We found ways to make interactions more human, not less.  

Leading in the age of AI means keeping our face toward the sunshine, even when the pace of change feels blinding. It means modeling curiosity instead of control, and inviting our teams to co-create a future that blends intelligence with empathy.  

Leaders, what light are you turning toward this week? How will you use AI not just to work smarter, but to lead with more heart? The direction you face will determine the path your team follows.  

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

♻️ Repost to help your network. 
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on customer & employee experience, service design, and CX & EX in AI.

Here is the latest edition of EXPERIENCE MATTERS: 

- Article: Real Talk in 2025: A Year of Fighting, Healing, and Holding On
- Where’s Shawn? Customer AI Masterclass Certification
- Influencer spotlight: Shawn Lesser, Michael Holtz, & Jono (Kupferberg) Wilde
- Combustion Chronicles Episode: Adrienne Boissy

Your Experience Evangelist, Shawn

#whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #inspiration #motivation #leadership #transformation #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
#mentalhealth #cancer #marketing #entrepreneurship #personalbranding #socialnetworking #socialmedia

If you are looking at the picture attached to this story, you are probably thinking the same thing everyone else has said to me lately. Shawn, is that

Open article: Real Talk in 2025: A Year of Fighting, Healing, and Holding On by Shawn Nason • 6 min read

Real Talk in 2025: A Year of Fighting, Healing, and Holding On

Real Talk with Shawn.

Today is Day 1,303 of the situation.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what truly matters. Who fills my cup. Who shows up. And what my mind, body, and spirit need to keep going. This round of treatment has taken a toll. It's been harder than I ever imagined. Thank you to my wife, Carla for being there in all ways for me. November is National Caregivers Month.

So I made a decision for me. I’ve paused treatment for November, and maybe even December. I needed a break, not because I’m giving up, but because I’m choosing to heal in all the ways. This past week was the first time in months I’ve felt even a little human again. A glimpse of myself. And that matters.

Now for some updates, and some hope.

My ctDNA results dropped from 42.11 to 0.04. That means almost no cancer cells in my bloodstream. These results were taken before my sixth round of treatment, so there’s a chance that number is even better now. We will test again soon.

My PET scan showed that the spots lighting up before are no longer active. We did find one new area with some activity, but right now, it's on watch, not on fire.

So what does this all mean?

It means we’re on the right track. It means we’re punching cancer in the face, one round at a time. And while I’m not calling this a win just yet, I am saying the war is shifting. And in a dear friends words of mine, F**K CANCER!

“The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about.” — Unknown

On this Saturday, I want to ask you to do something simple and powerful.

Take a moment to reflect on the people who matter. The things that bring you joy. The quiet moments that breathe life back into you. And ask yourself, are you showing up for yourself the way you need to?

I’m deeply grateful to MAN UP TO CANCER, THE REAL Mental Health Foundation, and Reel Recovery. These communities have held me up when I was running on empty. If you aren’t following them yet, change that. They are real. They are human. They are life-giving.

Additionally, here are some amazing brothers, who have held me up. Follow them as well:

Elijah Szasz
Michael Holtz, APR, MPRCA
Matthew Zachary
Matt Kozlovac
Trevor Maxwell
Shawn Lesser
Jono (Kupferberg) Wilde
Mark Fujiwara
Geoffrey B. Sargeant, CFP®
Atul Sood
Mike Ma
Christopher Pitt MBA
Jeff Peo
Mike Smith
Bob Evensen
David Kenley

Sending love, light, and deep gratitude.

Now, your turn.  
What is one thing you will do today to take care of your heart?

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

#cancer #cancersucks #kfg #bdp #resilience #inspiration #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cancerjourney #warriorspirit #brotherhood

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