Should I switch to a management role when I’m worried about leading a team?

[Adam.S]

I’ve been offered a promotion to a management role, but I’m hesitant because I’ve always been an individual contributor. I’m worried my technical skills won’t translate well to leading a team and handling budgets. Has anyone else made this jump and felt unprepared at first?

[Nora_T]

I jumped into a manager role last year and yeah, I felt out of my depth for the first couple months. I did 1 on 1s with every direct report, asked for a mentor from another team, and kept the budget conversations simple with concrete numbers. The big shift wasn’t the coding I used to do; it was setting priorities and saying no sometimes.

[Jacob.T]

Same here. The calendar got crowded and I kept thinking about the work I used to ship. It helped when I started documenting decisions and why they mattered.

[ScottH]

I tried to set quarterly goals and track a few metrics like delivery speed and budget burn. It helped a bit, but the team still felt unsure until I learned to give clear expectations and stay out of the weeds.

[JacobLJ]

Do you think the real issue is whether you want to be a people manager or just expand your scope as a leader while staying technically hands on?

[Joshua_M]

I also drifted into wandering thoughts about a hobby—like taking up biking to clear my head—then realized momentum matters at work too. I learned to delegate more and check in weekly, even if I still second guess myself.

[Scott.T]

I'm not sure if the problem is me not being ready or the org not giving enough support. I still feel uncertain about handling budgets and people, and I keep wondering if I'm chasing the wrong thing.