The following points embody the essential traits and behaviors I’ve discovered throughout my career. Most of these insights are lessons from memorable experiences. For the rest, remarkable technology leaders have graciously passed down their recipes for success, for which I am profoundly grateful. I’ve found these impactful learnings to be invaluable, and I hope you, too, will find value in them.
Be in the moment
Practice deep listening. Establish connections by demonstrating a sincere interest in what others are saying. This shows respect and is an excellent way to expand your knowledge.
Breathe technology
View technology as a passion, not just work. Concentrate on the domain that fascinates you. Delve into the specifics to form your own opinions.
Make technology your business
As a tool, technology can act as a business accelerator or a business opportunity. Moreover, a well-structured system comprising organizations, processes, and specialists is a social technology.
Understand everyone’s role
This encourages you to appreciate the value each colleague brings. You can maximize the benefits of internal synergies. It also encourages others to recognize the worth of everyone’s contributions.
Compose harmonically
Group people according to their affinity and complementary expertise. Consequently, some individuals will build things independently but keep them private. Ensure that teams are all moving in the same direction.
Guide
Take your hands off the steering wheel and teach others to drive by letting them take control.
Encourage sharing
Everyone is unique, hence they contribute unique value to the team and the organization. Act as a catalyst. Remember, a group’s value is more than the sum of its parts.
Trust their insights
All ideas matter. Your job is to sort and prioritize them. Trust is invaluable. Lack of trust is like refusing to invest in your people.
Communicate accurately
Strive to eliminate interpretation and ambiguity. Vagueness impedes mastery.
Structure
Your ideas, your approach, your strategy, your time, your directives.
Eliminate waste
Time and motivation are our most significant assets. Wasting time equates to wasting energy. Avoid exhaustion and demotivation, both for yourself and your team.
Work ahead
Being proactive means working in the future while others work in the present. Lead the way and inspire others to follow suit.
Evangelize
Spread the word about the vision, technological changes, economic dynamics, and mindset. Everyone should understand and know the direction in which the company is heading. Repeat this often. Consistently.
Develop careers
Uncover people’s potential to shape their careers. Provide them with the building blocks to carve their own paths.
Use thoroughly what you sell
Eat your own dog food. Use the product you’ve created to gain a customer’s perspective. Experience their satisfaction and their challenges firsthand.
Approach recruitment as you would a birth
Tailor the job profile, tests, interviews, and selection process. Represent your company, embodying its voice, culture, and brand. You might be meeting your next “business family” member.
Cultivate a culture of knowledge management
Capture wisdom in the form of cookbooks, guidelines, best practices, and design patterns. Pay particular attention to less experienced or newer team members. This relevant and actionable knowledge forms part of the company’s long-term memory. Ensure this knowledge stays current as the world changes daily. Ultimately, use artificial intelligence to source insights from corporate memory.
Champion research & development
Change is inevitable. Therefore, you either shape the future or adapt to it. Your approach is also a reflection of your culture.
Encourage and arrange training
This nurtures your organization’s skills, intellectual wealth, innovative potential, and resilience.
Uncover talents and opportunities
Some are hidden gems, others are rare talents. Your leadership truly shines in the light of their brilliance.
Be selfless
Offer whatever you can, whether it’s time, insights, lessons learned from mistakes, or candid feedback. Be available when your team needs assistance.
Construct platforms for success
Your success is defined by how you contribute to others’ success. Share your journey to achievement so they can learn how to succeed. Celebrate and enjoy your victories together.
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