From the archives Episode 7 Leadership

Episode 7: Leadership

Hello everyone, this is the TechArtJam microcast from Rigging Dojo, I’m your host, Chad Moore.

A Thread on leadership popped up on twitter recently, started by Jeremy Ernst. It made me think of how there is a lack of training for people transitioning to leadership roles, or even discussions about that transition. So, I’m going to talk about it a bit here, and try to get a guest or two on as well.

That thread also reminded me about our recent newsletter interview with Nina Fricker. Nina mentioned some really interesting points on her own movement from individual contributor to lead.

To me the most important trait of a good lead, regardless of discipline, is that your focus is on making your team successful. Going from an individual contributor to a lead required a major mental shift in what being good at my job looks like. This didn’t come easy after almost a decade of straight-up production work. I still struggle with not being able to do as much work myself. As with all aspects of my career, I’ve received wonderful guidance and mentorship from so many people at Insomniac. They’ve helped me realize that I make a big impact as a force multiplier through leading. This came in the form of CONSTANT reassurance that the success of my team was first and foremost and that my feeling of not doing enough showable production work was a normal reaction. It’s become very fulfilling for me to see the amazing things the folks on my team accomplish.

Leadership has many styles, and every situation is nuanced. But you can relate leadership to the things you may already know. You can unit test your leadership skills to see if they pass or fail. You can determine a pipeline for the people you serve as a leader to grow their strengths.

Ask yourself these questions, they’re a good first start about thinking on your own work. Then think of a situation at work with someone you lead, or a leader of yours. Frame the same questions with that lens.
– Do I know what is expected of me at work?
– Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
– At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
– In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
– Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
– Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
– At work, do my opinions seem to count?
– Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
– Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
– Do I have a best friend at work?
– In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
– This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

These questions come from Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey. Check it out here.