You are absolutely right re these being the top three skills. I've rolled out many leadership programs and the things that the leaders (who thought they didn't need any training as they were operational, get the job done, types) found most useful were:
- learning to listen - it helped them at home too
- learning to communicate with their teams (in this instance through DiSC personality assessments)
- learning how to give feedback
As in most operational roles, the person who does the best job operationally gets promoted to be a leader.
Doesn't mean they know how to lead. Great article.
PS: I love Covey's listening model too, it's the simplest one, in my opinion.
"I’ve noticed a common misconception: most Tech Leads believe technical skills are all they need." - You have nailed it here. I, too, have noticed this misconception and was swept into it for years. Thank you for further amplifying this message and outlining easy-to-follow examples to improve.
Glad that this resonated Colette! It's indeed quite common that engineers focus too much on tech skills overall and forget about that Engineering is one of the most collaborative fields out there.
Good managers listen well, value honesty, empower everyone equally, and encourage the team to bring themselves to work.
Great article, Gregor and Anemari! 🙌
You are absolutely right re these being the top three skills. I've rolled out many leadership programs and the things that the leaders (who thought they didn't need any training as they were operational, get the job done, types) found most useful were:
- learning to listen - it helped them at home too
- learning to communicate with their teams (in this instance through DiSC personality assessments)
- learning how to give feedback
As in most operational roles, the person who does the best job operationally gets promoted to be a leader.
Doesn't mean they know how to lead. Great article.
PS: I love Covey's listening model too, it's the simplest one, in my opinion.
Thank you Wendy for sharing your expereince and empashising the value of these skills for leaders! :)
"I’ve noticed a common misconception: most Tech Leads believe technical skills are all they need." - You have nailed it here. I, too, have noticed this misconception and was swept into it for years. Thank you for further amplifying this message and outlining easy-to-follow examples to improve.
happy to help :)
Glad that this resonated Colette! It's indeed quite common that engineers focus too much on tech skills overall and forget about that Engineering is one of the most collaborative fields out there.