Smart People, Poor Leadership – A Frustrating Experience - Engineering Manager AMD Employee Review

- Mid-level leadership often lack effective management skills, defaulting to excessive micromanagement rather than trust and delegation. - Senior individual contributors and even some managers are frequently treated with condescension, undermining their experience and autonomy. - Strategic direction is inconsistent or absent; priorities shift frequently based on ad hoc questions or whims from upper leadership. - There is a notable resistance to process — initiatives often feel reactive and chaotic rather than planned or structured. - Performance expectations are uneven: a small number of high performers are overloaded and held to extremely high standards, while low performers face little accountability. - Long workdays (12–16 hours) are common for the top performers, often spent chasing poorly defined or shifting objectives with little long-term value.