Scaling Trust: Transitioning into Engineering Management
September 25, 2024
When I moved from Engineer to Engineering Manager, one of the key lessons I picked up was that success isn’t about how many problems I can personally solve, but how many problems my team can solve without me. At the center of that shift is trust—something that’s easy to talk about but harder to build, and absolutely crucial if you want your team to really grow.
As engineers, we tend to value individual problem-solving skills. It often feels like your worth is tied to how well you can tackle tough challenges and come out with a solution. But when you step into management, your impact is measured differently. It’s no longer about your own output—it’s about how well the team does as a whole. And to make that happen, you need to scale trust.
Building trust starts with letting go
One of the hardest parts of moving from an individual contributor to a manager is learning to let go. As an IC, your value was often based on your technical skills and how fast you could fix issues. But as a manager, it’s about helping others solve problems and make decisions without you jumping in.
Here’s the thing: trust isn’t about checking in less—it’s about giving your team space to take ownership of their work. It’s letting them know they have the freedom to make decisions, even if they might make mistakes. And they will make mistakes. But that’s how people grow.
Earning trust as a new manager
Switching from being a top IC to leading a team is tough, especially when you’re managing people who were your peers. Just because you were great at writing code or solving technical problems doesn’t mean you’ll instantly be great at managing people. It’s normal for there to be some skepticism at first, and that’s where trust comes in.
Building trust as a manager comes down to being consistent and being clear. Early on, I realized that while I couldn’t be in the trenches solving every problem, my understanding of the work allowed me to provide context and guidance without micromanaging. You still use your technical skills, but the focus shifts—it’s more about removing blockers and giving your team what they need to get the job done.
Delegation is more than assigning tasks
When we talk about delegation, people usually think of just giving out tasks. But real delegation is about creating an environment where your team feels both responsible and capable. It’s making sure they know they have the autonomy to make decisions, and that you’re there if things go off track.
As a former IC, one of the hardest things is knowing when to step back. Letting go and trusting your team to handle challenges without constant oversight is difficult. But once the team starts taking ownership, you’ll see them exceed expectations.
Trust goes both ways
What I’ve learned is that trust has to go both ways. It’s not just about me trusting the team—it’s about them trusting that I’ll back them up if things go wrong. When they know they won’t be blamed for every mistake, they’re more likely to take risks, try new ideas, and learn from those mistakes. That’s where innovation happens.
A good way to build this mutual trust is by being transparent. When leaders communicate openly and give context for decisions, it creates an environment where people feel confident stepping up. The team needs to know that even if things don’t go perfectly, it’s about learning and improving, not pointing fingers.
Building autonomy with guardrails
Scaling trust doesn’t mean stepping away entirely. It’s about finding a balance between giving autonomy and providing the necessary support. This is where setting clear expectations comes in.
On bigger projects, it’s important that everyone knows the key goals and milestones, but how they get there should be up to them. Regular check-ins aren’t about micromanaging—they’re about keeping things aligned, offering guidance, and removing blockers. This way, the team has the freedom to make decisions and the support they need to succeed.
Evolving as a leader
Trust isn’t static. As you grow in your role, the way you build and maintain trust has to grow, too. At first, your technical expertise might be what earns you credibility. But as your team grows and projects get more complex, the trust you build will rely on how well you manage productivity, support development, and handle challenges beyond the technical.
As you settle into the role, you’ll start to move from being the person who “knows everything” to the person who helps the team find the best solutions themselves. This shift is often the hardest for new managers, but also the most rewarding. Watching your team succeed, knowing you played a part in that, is a feeling that tops any individual achievement.
The ROI of trust
The payoff from building trust doesn’t happen overnight. At first, things might feel slower as people adjust to the added responsibility. But over time, the benefits add up. As trust scales within the team, they become more independent. Decisions get made faster, there’s less need for constant oversight, and confidence grows.
One of the best parts of being a manager is seeing your team solve problems you didn’t even know existed. When trust is the foundation, people don’t just do their job—they take ownership. And that ownership is what drives long-term success.