@227 Very true. HR notices when new managers are bleeding resources especially when it reduces the headcount below the minimum to even justify their level. So a new manager with 3 headcount that reduces to 2 or 1 within a few months is a red flag that gets everyone up the chain hauled into meetings.
If you get put on a team that consists of only 2 or 3 people that's the time to start looking. You are expendable. You were only retained to get someone else a promotion. Managers never want anyone around long term that remembers the cronyism involved with their "level up" they only want people who didn't go through their crony growing pains. Managerial ability and other traits are not what gets you bumped up, it's cronyism all the way down.