And Then I Pooped My Pants

Stories and Lessons for New Managers

By: Danny Yonkers

Narrated by: Danny Yonkers

The move from individual contributor to manager is a difficult transition. More than 40% of individual contributors who become managers fail in the first 16 months. People step into leadership roles full of enthusiasm with visions of the change they will bring to an organization, but all too often the onboarding and training of new managers is not sufficient to ensure their success.

I've mentored many new or aspiring leaders that have gone on to be successful managers in the corporate world and this book outlines the key competencies required to make the transition from individual contributor to manager. I outline these competencies by telling stories of my life, from the US Marine Corps, leading Marines to leading hundreds of people across several different types of teams and companies in the world of tech.

Here you will learn:

• To distinguish “urgent” from “important”
• How to build trust with your team
• How to uncover culture and put it to work
• How to find and instill purpose in the job
• How to be vulnerable enough to understand your team’s emotions and your own
• The power of feedback
• How to manage your time and that of your team

Learning these things won’t make you a “great” leader… just a competent one. This is a platform for learning “good” so you can find “great” in your own way. These aren’t tools that a lot of people learn as individual contributors, but they’re vital to being a successful Manager.

©2023 Danny Yonkers (P)2024 Danny Yonkers

The thoughtful approach to team work was brilliant.

I loved the voice and the extra voices he is able to emulate. The advice Danny gives out can be applied to many situations. I’m impressed with his approach to other cultures and his own insights and personal growth and eventual wisdom.