In the Age of AI, Your Manager Shapes How Work Feels
Workers with highly effective managers report much higher enjoyment and lower burnout, but only a quarter say they have one.
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career · Why the AI’s honeymoon is ending (and tech workers are feeling it) | Noam SegalNoam Segal, who surveys tech workers about AI, says "who your manager is probably matters more than most other characteristics of your role." Workers who rated their manager as extremely effective reported about 65% higher enjoyment of their jobs and much less burnout.
The problem is supply. Only about 25% of workers rated their manager as highly effective, while 36% rated their manager as ineffective, little changed from last year. That gap matters because a good manager lifts enjoyment and lowers burnout, and too few workers get one.
Segal worries the gap could widen as tech embraces flatter organizations and so-called founder mode, with people managing more direct reports than ever. He is concerned about that trend because of how much a manager affects well-being. He also says the manager is the person who manages what he calls the squeeze from AI, shaping how overworked someone may feel by protecting focus and setting expectations.
If you are looking for a job, Segal's advice is to "consider carefully who your manager might be because" little else will affect your well-being more. Ask how often you will meet, how success is defined, and how workload is set when AI speeds things up, and talk to former reports if you can. Once hired, protect that relationship. Invest in clear communication, build steady lines of contact, and learn to manage up.
For leaders, his advice is to invest in your managers. Segal says manager training is still rare, yet it is among the best money a company can spend to lower burnout and keep people when competing offers are everywhere. A practical first step is to pay for real training for the managers you already have.
Questions people ask
How do I vet a future manager in an interview?
Ask about one on ones, feedback, and workload decisions. Good signs are regular meetings, clear goals, and former reports who say they grew. Vague expectations and little time for coaching are worth noting.
What are the great flattening and founder mode?
Segal uses the terms to describe efforts to remove hierarchy and keep organizations flat, leaving each manager with more direct reports. He says he is concerned about that shift because who your manager is has such a large effect on well-being.
What does managing up actually look like week to week?
It means clarifying priorities, sharing what you are working on and what you need, and asking what matters most to your manager. Bring proposed tradeoffs when work grows, so there are no surprises about scope or success.