Stop Promoting Your Top ICs: “When They Win, You Win.” Lessons for Modern Managers

I’m often asked what truly powers a high-performing product organization. My answer starts with managers. That’s why I was eager to revisit the work of Russ Laraway, a seasoned leader who’s been at Google, Twitter, Candor Inc, Qualtrics, and is now the Chief People Officer for Goodwater Capital. His career arc mirrors the kind of product management leadership many of us strive to cultivate on our teams.

He’s written a new book, titled: “When They Win, You Win.” It’s a research-backed guide that resonated with me because it balances practical tools with the nuance required for the IC to manager transition inside fast-moving product teams.

One idea that immediately stood out is how broken the manager selection process often is. Too many companies default to promoting the highest performer, rather than looking for folks who explicitly demonstrate leadership chops. In my own teams, I’ve seen elite individual contributors struggle when asked to lead without preparation. We now assess for behaviors like an ability to set clear outcomes (not just outputs), coach consistently, give and receive actionable feedback, and create clarity during ambiguity—before offering the role.

Equally valuable are the raw ingredients Russ outlines to gauge whether someone’s truly ready for management—even if they weren’t the best individual contributor. I’ve learned to look for three signals in promotion and hiring loops: (1) a habit of elevating peers’ work, (2) structured thinking that translates strategy into weekly execution, and (3) a bias toward accountability paired with empathy. If you’re hiring managers from outside the company, build your interview plan to suss out the right hire. I like questions that probe how candidates set outcomes vs output OKRs, run 1:1s that compound performance, and handle underperformance without losing team trust.

The book synthesizes heaps of research into clear management frameworks I can put to work immediately. One takeaway is a practical list of the behaviors of highly-engaging managers. What’s worked for me: weekly 1:1s anchored on priorities and growth, explicit role clarity, lightweight career conversations every quarter, strengths-based recognition tied to outcomes, and crisp decision rights. When managers consistently do these basics well, engagement rises and product velocity follows.

There’s no shortage of management advice out there—often contradictory. What I appreciate here is the distillation into an essential, research-backed guide for the modern manager that cuts through the noise. The result is a repeatable playbook I can hand to new product leads and know they’ll have the foundations to build trust, set direction, and deliver business impact.

You can follow Russ on Twitter at @ral1.

His book, “When They Win, You Win.” comes out on June 7, 2022. For more details, see the Amazon listing: https://www.amazon.com/When-They-Win-You-Manager/dp/1250279666.

What is the main issue with promoting top ICs?

Promoting the highest performer often overlooks leadership chops. Instead, look for behaviors like setting clear outcomes, coaching consistently, and giving actionable feedback.

What are the three signals for manager readiness?

The three signals are: a habit of elevating peers’ work, structured thinking that translates strategy into weekly execution, and a bias toward accountability paired with empathy. Together they indicate readiness for management.

How should external manager hires be evaluated?

When hiring managers from outside the company, build your interview plan to suss out the right hire. Use questions that probe how candidates set outcomes vs. output OKRs, how they run 1:1s that compound performance, and how they handle underperformance without losing team trust.

What are the key practices of highly-engaging managers?

Key practices include weekly 1:1s anchored on priorities and growth, explicit role clarity, quarterly career conversations, strengths-based recognition tied to outcomes, and crisp decision rights. These habits boost engagement and help product velocity.

What is the book's value for modern managers?

The book provides a practical, research-backed guide that distills management frameworks into a repeatable playbook to build trust, set direction, and deliver business impact. It supports modern managers working with fast-moving product teams.