Former Goldman Sachs Partner Admits Being 'Challenging to Work With'

Frederick Baba, a trader at Jane Street and former Goldman Sachs partner, recently published a candid reflection on his career. Baba, who left Goldman Sachs in 2023 after nearly a decade, shared the farewell note he originally sent to colleagues. The post revealed that he was often viewed as 'challenging to work with.' He admitted that his intense drive for results and opinions could be polarizing. The letter serves as a guide for leadership, stressing the need for open dialogue and effective delegation. Baba also offered career advice for junior analysts, urging them to plan strategically and remain humble.

Frederick Baba addressed the difficulties colleagues faced working with him in a LinkedIn post. He explained that his management style was defined by an obsession with commercial outcomes. Baba wrote that he often pushed his views forcefully, prioritizing winning arguments over gaining consensus.

He acknowledged that this approach likely alienated some team members. "I focused more on winning arguments than getting people to come along with me," he continued. Despite the challenges, Baba noted that Goldman Sachs taught him how to rally people behind ideas and develop others for larger roles.

As he rose through the ranks, becoming a partner in late 2022, he noticed unintended consequences of his authority. "As I became more senior, I became effective at getting people to do as I say," he wrote, "but I noticed a chilling effect on outside ideas, making it harder to know if I was actually right."

The former partner used his experience to offer guidance to managers and junior professionals. A central theme in his message was the importance of creating a safe environment for dissent. He urged leaders to present arguments gently and actively seek opposing viewpoints.

Baba encouraged current managers to focus on team development. He shared a philosophy he learned early in his career: a manager cannot move up unless there is someone capable of taking over their current role. He stated that teams perform best when leaders delegate and elevate effectively.

For newcomers to high finance, Baba recommended a structured approach to career planning:

• Evaluate performance over one-, three-, and five-year timeframes.
• Check in regularly with senior stakeholders.
• Seek broad feedback to align work with expectations.

He also quoted a line from a Jay-Z song, suggesting that the key to staying on top is to "treat everything like it's your first project."

Frederick Baba joined Jane Street as a trader after leaving Goldman Sachs in late 2023. Prior to his departure, he gained wider attention for a 2020 email he wrote regarding the experience of being Black following the killing of George Floyd. He was also named one of Business Insider's Rising Stars of Wall Street in 2020.

In his closing remarks, Baba reflected on the nature of reputation versus intent. He acknowledged that individuals do not have full control over how they are remembered. "We don't get to choose how people remember or speak about us," he wrote. He concluded that while people speak of leaving a legacy, the reality of how one is spoken of is often separate from who they choose to be.