From “Oh S**t” to “I’ve Got This” – A brutally honest panel on getting shoved into leadership

One day, you’re neck-deep in systems or spreadsheets. The next, you’re managing people, owning outcomes, and pretending you have a plan. Welcome to leadership! I hope you survive onboarding.

In this unscripted, no-fluff panel, a technical leader and a former ops pro turned community builder compare notes on what it’s really like to get pushed into management. Through hard lessons, big wins, and plenty of “well, that didn’t work” moments, we’ll explore how you go from winging it to leading with clarity.

We’ll cover:

The messy shift from doer to decider

Leading without a playbook (or permission)

Mistakes that taught us the most

Figuring out your leadership style

Whether to stay in the weeds – or not

Expect honesty, useful takeaways, and zero corporate jargon.