The trap is thinking that management is about "sucking up" or "playing a game." The way I run my team is entirely in line with my personality and values. There'

The trap is thinking that management is about "sucking up" or "playing a game." The way I run my team is entirely in line with my personality and values. There's no fakery at all. In a way, that's the key: you need to be in an environment where you can operate in a way that works for you and delivers value to the organization. I'm very explicit to my higher-ups about what I'm optimizing for, and that if there's a day when my organization no longer values that, I'll step back from this management role.