Managing Someone More Experienced Than You

The Management Minute with Dr. Donita Brown · Oct 26, 2026 · 3m

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What happens when you're managing someone who has more experience than you do?

For new managers, leading employees who have spent years, or even decades, mastering their work can feel intimidating. You might feel pressure to prove yourself, demonstrate your expertise, or show everyone why you deserve to be in charge.

But that's exactly the trap Dr. Donita Brown wants managers to avoid.

In this episode of The Management Minute, Donita shares her experience managing someone who had been doing the job longer than she'd been alive and explains why good leadership isn't about…