Rotten Top

This essay resonated with me at many levels. The author is spot-on about the fate of many director level folks in tech companies. They make good money but the job is unrelentingly awful for all reasons that the author cites. He is right that the real crisis facing the tech industry isn’t AI replacing jobs, it’s a crisis of management and leadership. Burnout is rampant, especially among middle managers, and poor leadership is driving top talent away. The companies that will thrive are those that invest in effective management, not just flashy technology or rigid return-to-office (RTO) policies. 

When executive leaders set poor examples, lack clear vision, or fail to support and communicate effectively, these flaws cascade down the hierarchy. Middle managers, especially directors, are squeezed between unrealistic executive expectations and the needs of their teams, often without adequate support or authority. This leads to increased burnout, confusion, and disengagement among lower-level managers and their direct reports. Shit flows downhill from there until the whole class of people managers in a company with a bad executive leadership turns toxic. In that environment absolutely no one can thrive - manager or individual contributor. Each lives in their own kind of hell. Everyone is disengaged, burning out, and trying to escape what grows increasingly intolerable.