Personal & Professional Development Community
The Accidental Manager: Shifting from Doing to Leading
You were the best coder/salesperson/marketer… so we made you the boss. Now what?”
Across industries, the transition from individual contributor to manager is one of the most jarring leaps—yet it is the one organizations prepare people for the least. New managers suddenly find themselves responsible for motivation, delegation, conflict, and feedback… with no real roadmap for how to lead people instead of projects.
In this practical workshop, Isla Reddin—performance and leadership coach—breaks down the hidden psychology behind the transition gap and gives participants the tools and language to navigate it with confidence.
Through interactive discussion, simple models, and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to shift from “execution mode” to the mindset of an effective leader, delegate without fear of quality dropping, and give feedback that creates growth instead of resistance.
Whether you’re a new manager, supporting new managers, or preparing for your first leadership role, this session will help you step into leadership with clarity, skill, and calm authority.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Participants will leave with:
1. A clear mindset reset for leadership.
Understand why the habits that made you successful as an individual contributor often undermine you as a manager—and how to adopt the thinking, presence, and priorities of a leader.
2. A simple, repeatable delegation framework.
Learn how to delegate without feeling like you’re losing control, and how to build capability and trust on your team rather than doing everything yourself.
3. A practical, low-pressure formula for difficult conversations.
Walk away with a feedback script you can use immediately—one that reduces defensiveness, increases accountability, and strengthens relationships.
4. Insight into your own transition journey.
Identify which habits are holding you in “doer mode” and what shifts will help you thrive as a leader.
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About Your Speaker:
Isla Reddin, Corporate Performance Coach
Isla Reddin is a corporate performance coach passionate about bringing diverse tools and strategies to support individuals and teams to grow and reach their desired goals. Her background in curriculum design, training, and project management informs her coaching practice. Isla believes new tools and paradigms of learning need to be constantly created to meet the needs of individuals and society.
In her early career, Isla supported global sales, media, and PR events for international automotive, pharmaceutical, and financial services companies. In the past 15 years, she has worked in Europe and the US as a consultant and corporate performance coach with multiple clients, and as an entrepreneur in the tech, and education spaces. She understands how to help leaders and teams handle the diverse challenges they face with practical, creative, and flexible solutions.
The ATD Austin Chapter has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. This program qualifies for a maximum of 1 point.
