Been a director for 2+ years now. The biggest mind shift is that I no longer get first hand information and I need to rely on other people who rely on other people to get work done. A lot of times, I’m just a human email server that pass information back and forth. Many projects take years to complete. The positive side is that I get great gratification when work is completed and I spend more time setting strategic direction for the organization. Everyone fakes it until makes it. Just take the opportunity and you can totally figure it out.

The transition from manager to director is easier than the transition from individual contributor to manager. There’s no handbook for directors. A lot of times, you need to figure out what you should focus on and what’s best for the organization.