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Making the leap from team-focused engineer to org-level technical leader can feel like freefall. Suddenly, your old ways of working and measuring success no longer apply. You’re overwhelmed, directionless, and wondering if you even belong in this role. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
This talk introduces the concept of the Performance Cliff, a psychological shift that explains why highly capable engineers often feel lost when stepping into broader influence. Drawing on years of mentoring and hard-won lessons, the speaker will explore practical strategies to reframe your mindset, build new systems of success, and thrive in the ambiguity of Staff+ org leadership.
Over the last several years of mentoring other Staff+ engineers, the speaker has had many conversations that follow a similar pattern:
“I recently moved from being a team leader to being an org leader, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing / I feel like I’m failing / I’m overwhelmed by all of the work on my plate / I’m lost and confused / maybe this isn’t the right role for me / I feel so alone.”
If this resonates, you’re not alone. The speaker experienced the same thing when moving from a Staff Engineer role on a team to an Architect role with broad responsibility across many teams. Despite working toward this transition for years, the shift felt disorienting. It created a sense of failure, uncertainty, and fear of being found out. But that reaction is not a sign of inadequacy – it’s a normal response to a major change.
This talk is for anyone who has stepped into a larger role and quietly wondered if they’re the only one struggling.
