Layers of Leadership • Lee Campbell • YOW! 2023

Discover the key elements of effective leadership, including defining a clear direction, prioritizing clarity and transparency, and providing opportunities for growth and development, in this insightful talk on technical leadership.

Key takeaways
  • To lead effectively, you need to define a clear unifying direction for your team, and provide a map to match it.
  • Value driver trees can help clarify goals and priorities.
  • Effective leadership requires understanding your own competency level and that of your team, and providing opportunities for growth and development.
  • Work on aligning your team’s planning and execution with the company’s goals, and prioritize clarity and transparency.
  • Solve problems by focusing on the things you can control directly, and delegate tasks accordingly.
  • Technical leaders need to provide a map for performance expectations, and support their team members in developing their skills.
  • Effective leaders need to provide a balance between autonomy, mastery, and purpose, and ensure their team has a clear sense of direction, goals, and priorities.
  • People want to be valued, trusted, and supported, and technical leaders should prioritize these aspects.
  • Use a competency matrix to define the skills and competencies required for each role, and provide opportunities for growth and development.
  • Leadership is about aligning your team’s effort towards achieving common goals, and providing the necessary support and resources to achieve those goals.
  • Leaders need to balance competing priorities, and make decisions based on the outcome, rather than the process.
  • Effective leaders need to provide a clear and unifying direction, and provide the necessary support and resources to achieve those goals.
  • Clarify your technical debt and prioritize it accordingly, and ensure your team has the necessary skills and competencies to tackle it.
  • The key elements for leadership are clarity, consistency, and balance, and technical leaders should prioritize these aspects.