How to Become a Technical Leader for Career Comm
Transcript of How to Become a Technical Leader for Career Comm
How to Become a Technical Leader
Kerrie Holley - IBM Distinguished Engineer 415 545-2848 [email protected] Holley - IBM Distinguished Engineer 415 545-2848 [email protected]
How to Become a Technical Leader 2
Who are the Technical Leaders?
44
36
13
1419
7652
354
58
4131
71
59
53
73
45
68
2910
15
756261
51 6517
74
64
78
40 72
8180
50
3757
926
6639 38
69
90 24 17 316 21 67
48 77 27
How to Become a Technical Leader 3
Can You See How You Look to Others?
a) yes
b) no
c) sometimes
D) how could I possibly know?
How to Become a Technical Leader 4
….
Some types of leaders
How to Become a Technical Leader 5
Visionary Thought Leader
Genuine visionary who influences where the
technology is going. Deep technology
strength, knowledge, expertise. Leading edge
thinker, innovative. Can captivate customers.
Trades on reputation and brings high
customer value. Comfortable with concepts,
“right brain”, may be viewed as “academic” -
writes papers, conference speaker. Strong
consulting capability.
Relishes thought leadership role over
operational management responsibilities.
VisionaryThoughtLeader
How to Become a Technical Leader 6
Technical Expert
Absolute subject matter expert of highest
quality. Not necessarily a visionary thought
leader. Deep expertise may be in one or more
areas of competence-technology. Likely to have
project oversight responsibility. Can move easily
from technologist to consultant. An engineer at
heart rather than a consultant. High customer
insight. Effective at “cold call”. Actively coaches
and develops others.
TechnicalExpert
How to Become a Technical Leader 7
….
Branding
How to Become a Technical Leader 8
What is the new world of careers?
OR
How to Become a Technical Leader 9
Brand Called You
What makes you different?
What do you do that adds value, distinguished, distinctive value?
What makes you different?
What do you do that you are most proud of?
What do you want to be famous for?
How to Become a Technical Leader 10
Brand Called You
Do you anticipate and solve problems?
Does your customer or team become more productive, more efficient by having you on the team?
Do you meet your commitments?
Do people ask for you first?
How to Become a Technical Leader 11
….
Some Quick Lessons
How to Become a Technical Leader 12
Lesson #1: Create atmosphere of trust
People stop bringing you their problems which means they have lost confidence in your or believe you don’t care
You create barriers to upward communication as leaders make themselves available and accessible
Create an environment where problem analysis replaces blame
How to Become a Technical Leader 13
Lesson #2: Become a Benevolent Dictator
Must make decisions without all the data
Some people will not like your decisions
Trying to get people to like you makes you avoid tough decisions
Procrastination to avoid risk actually increase risk
Favoring too much information gathering in order to make decision results in “analysis paralysis”
How to Become a Technical Leader 14
Lesson 3: Pay attention to details
Strategy works only with execution
Ideas and visions that cannot be implemented rapidly and efficiently are worthless
Obsessive routine in carrying out details begets mediocrity and dulls the mind
Encourage people to challenge the process
How to Become a Technical Leader 15
Lesson 4: Become an Optimist
Ripple effect of leader’s enthusiasm is awesome
Impact of cynicism and pessimism is deadly
Leaders who whine engender these same behaviors among their colleagues
The unrealistic aspirations of the optimist should be favored over the grim litany of the realist
How to Become a Technical Leader 16
….
IBM’s Technical Leadership
How to Become a Technical Leader 17
IBM’s Technical Leadership Competencies
Customer Insight
Breakthrough Thinking
Drive to Achieve
Team Leadership
Straight Talk
Teamwork
Decisiveness
How to Become a Technical Leader 18
IBM’s Technical Leadership Competencies
Building Organizational Capability
Developing Talent
Personal Dedication
Passion
How to Become a Technical Leader 19
IBM’s Technical Leadership
FELLOW DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER
Innovator, inventor, visionary, researchers, scientist
Contributor to "body of knowledge" or breakthrough the world will notice
Established reputation & influence externally - Industry & Academia
Defines future direction of expertise, drives new thinking
Exhibits technical leadership competencies & nurtures technical community
Activities support business direction, but may have management agreed to latitude to explore future directions
Large numbers of patents and publications
Hands on practitioner, applied technologist
Drives implementation of new technologies, processes, product deliveries, architectures
Focused operationally, but maintains foresight on future
Exhibits technical leadership competencies & nurtures technical community
Hands-on technical leader, with broad responsibility to resolve technical issues in support of established business direction
Fewer number of patents and publications
Less external involvement
How to Become a Technical Leader 20
….
How do I Become a Leader
How to Become a Technical Leader 21
Curiosity – Self Assessment
I keep a journal to record my insights
I take adequate time to reflect
I am a voracious reader
I learn from little children
I solicit feedback from friends, colleagues and family
My friends would describe me as open-minded and curious
I am skilled at identifying and solving problems
How to Become a Technical Leader 22
Arte / Scienza
I like details and lists
I write clearly
I am almost always on time
I read a book starting at page one and go through in order
I read a book by skipping around
I often lose track of time
I am good at brainstorming
How to Become a Technical Leader 23
Demonstration – Self Assessment
I learn from my mistakes and rarely make the same one twice
My closest friends would agree that I am willing to acknowledge my mistakes
I question conventional wisdom and authority
I can articulate my most fundamental beliefs and the reasons I hold them
I preserve in the face of obstacles
I view adversity as an opportunity for growth
How to Become a Technical Leader 24
Sfumato – Self Assessment
I am comfortable with ambiguity
I thrive with change
I have a tendency to “jump to conclusions”
I appreciate the importance of conflict in inspiring creativity
I trust my gut
I see the humor in life everyday
I spend sufficient time on my own
How to Become a Technical Leader 25
….
Skills
How to Become a Technical Leader 26
Skills of Technical Leaders
Communication
Abstract thinking
Quick learner
Politically Astute
Understands the need to fill holes
Understands technology
Recognizes patterns
Open Minded
Facilitator
How to Become a Technical Leader 27
….
Some parting thoughts
How to Become a Technical Leader 28
Some thoughts
He who is good with a hammer thinks everything is a nail
Maslow
How to Become a Technical Leader 29
Some thoughts
Beware of the trash bin of your experience
How to Become a Technical Leader 30
Some thoughts
I was always careful never to let my schooling interfere with my education
Mark Twain
How to Become a Technical Leader 31
Some thoughts
Where there is no vision, the people perish
Proverbs 29:18
How to Become a Technical Leader 32
Some thoughts
Even in war moral power is to physical power as three parts out of four
Napoleon
How to Become a Technical Leader 33
Some thoughts
Nothing in this world was so powerful as an idea whose time has come
Victor Hugo
How to Become a Technical Leader 34
Some thoughts
That the birds of worry and care fly above your head, this you can cannot change; but that that they build nests; but that they build nests in your hair in
your hair, this you can prevent
Chinese Proverb
How to Become a Technical Leader 35
Some thoughts
When you it with a nice girl for two hours, you think its only a minute. But
when you sit on a hot stove for a minute, you think its two hours. That’s
relativity
Albert Einstein
How to Become a Technical Leader 36
Sources
How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Dayby Michael J. Gelb
Becoming a Technical Leader: An Organic Problem-Solving Approachby Gerald M. Weinberg
How to Become a Technical Leader 37
Some thoughts
Beware of allowing a tactless word, a rebuttal, a rejection to obliterate the
whole sky.
Anais Nin