The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change

I picked up The Manager's Path when I was a senior IC considering whether to move into tech lead work. Fournier's chapter on the tech lead role—managing technical decisions without direct reports—was exactly what I needed. She breaks down each level from senior IC to VP, explaining what changes at each stage: how your time allocation shifts, what skills you need to develop, and what traps to avoid. The section on one-on-ones transformed how I approach those conversations, and her advice on handling difficult team members saved me from making several mistakes early on. Even if you never want to manage, the chapters on mentoring and giving feedback are worth the price. The book is practical without being prescriptive—she acknowledges that every team is different, but gives you frameworks to adapt. I've recommended it to three engineers who were struggling with the transition from senior IC to tech lead, and all of them said it helped them understand what they were signing up for.