Collected By: JohnBetaCode

This is a summary of my learnings and recommendations on different topics about my experience leading technology teams. I'm not the author of most of these frameworks, knowledge, and definitions here presented, I just compiled them with time and made a summary about what worked for me, and sometimes I share what I think about.

Feel free to chat with me, discuss any topic, and share opinions.

• The Tech Leadership Framework
• The Management Guideline
• Work Relationships
• The Constructive Feedback to your Tech Team
• A Framework to Resolve Conflicts Within Your Tech Team
• Teaching is the most effective way to learn
• Agile Methodologies in VUCA Environments
• Key Elements to Achieve a High-Level Technical Vision
• The Secret to Effective Mentoring
• Leading with a Product and Technology Relationship
• Do you have the entrepreneurial mindset you need as a leader?
• How to Manage the Brain Drain?
• Geeting Back from Vacations
• 7 Tips that Will Transform Your Book Reading Experience Forever
• Caution! Your team is returning demotivated
• Productive Managers in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
• The Crossroads for Developers: To Stop Coding and Become a Manager?
• The 4 Barriers Hindering Your Leap into a Tech Leadership Role
• The 5 Keys to Effective Leadership
• ​5 steps to escape the frustration that your technical role generates in you
• Achieving more with less. High-performance mindset
• Efficiency: How to Achieve More with Less?
• AI-Augmented Developer Teams in Enterprises
• Navigating Career Paths: Developer or Leader in the Age of AI
• The 5 Rookie Leadership Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Job (and How to Avoid Them)
• The Golden Triangle of Effective Leadership
• Technology Leadership Skills Framework
• How to Write Better Notices for Software Development
• Metrics for Measuring Performance and Well-being in Development Teams
• AI Engineer: The Profile Transforming the Industry
• Making Effective Decisions: How to Identify and Act on Reversible and Irreversible Choices
• Transitioning from Developer to Leader: A Career Change, Not Just a Promotion

Apply the SMART model: The SMART Goals framework helps you to set objectives in a way that is not confusing or vague, giving you a concrete and clear framework to reach your desired outcome. It’s a straightforward tool, and that’s why many professionals use SMART to keep their plans in check and track progress as they execute their strategies. The SMART Goal method is also a great way to design growth plans, either professional or personal, creating room to develop a purpose and fulfilling path.

• S - Specific: What do you want to accomplish? To be specific, add as many ideas as you can to identify patterns and determine the particular goal you want to pursue. Be careful not to get too broad and instead think about a specific area of focus. As you brainstorm, add sticky notes, move them around the board, and cluster ideas with shapes and frames to stay organized.

• M - Measurable: How will you know when you accomplished your goal? Make sure your goals are measurable by adding details, metrics, and performance indicators, and making notes of anything you want to track. You can also add more templates to your board like Gantt charts, milestone charts, or action plans to have a more complete overview of a project.

• A - Attainable: How can the goal be accomplished? To make your goals attainable, consider splitting them into smaller steps that you prioritize so you can achieve results quickly. And, think about whether the goals are realistic, given constraints like financing.

• R - Relevant: Will the goal meet your short- and long-term needs? To ensure your goals are relevant, be sure to align them with your company’s goals, mission, and vision. You can easily share your goals with leaders to get their input.

• T - Timely When will the goal be accomplished? To create timely goals, make sure each one gets assigned a deadline, whether short-term (“What can I do today?”) or long-term (“What can I do in six months?”). Time-bounded goals ensure lofty ideas can be broken down into actionable steps and make tracking milestones easier and more efficient.

How do you write a SMART goal? Start writing a specific goal with as much detail as possible. Then, add a measurable action to achieve it, followed by what is needed to accomplish this action and what’s relevant and might influence your process. Set deadlines and timelines to keep track of your progress to finalize it. Remember, write goals that seem realistic and detailed, so you can easily follow what you are setting out to do.

1. 1️⃣ Set clear priorities: Setting clear priorities helps you focus on what matters most, preventing you from thinking so much about your entire to-do list. As you are not going to do it right now, it only makes you feel overwhelmed. How to do it?

   📝 Quick exercise: MIT (Most Important Task):

   • Just define at the end of the day the first thing you will do the next day, the most critical one, and write it down.
   • Then, every day, first thing in the morning, you just do it.
   • Remember, first means no email, no Slack, no meetings. Just. Do. It. If there is something else on your agenda the first time in the * morning, try to move it and make sure you block that first hour for the subsequent days and weeks.

2. ⌛ Blocking time: Get back control of your time. You need to focus work on the manager’s important things: systems design, performance reviews, goal setting…And that focus needs enough time to get into the flow, not just 15-minute slots spread all over the week!

   📝 Quick exercise:

   • Try to block 3 slots of 2 hours for deep & shallow work (like MIT). That means 15% of your week.
   • Think about moving some 1:1s, avoiding non-critical meetings, or delegating part of your tasks.
   • Try to gain this time in the moments of the day when you feel more productive. Trying to focus for 2 hours in a row immediately after lunch is an impossible mission (did you hear about the food comma?)
   • Finally, add a 10-minute buffer after meetings to reorder the notes, write down TODOs, and take a break before the next thing. Change the environment, drink some water, close your eyes and breathe for 1-2 minutes. — Don’t take your phone, walk a bit, and stretch your arms and neck. This will close the chapter and re-energize you for the next one.

3. 😖 Distractions: Do you struggle with managing your attention, energy, and time effectively? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed and don't have the resources to increase your concentration? If your answer is yes to any question, you might have problems with distractions. But no worries, they all face them — even daily! Slack notifications, social media, messages, etc.… are time robbers if not managed properly.

   📝 Quick exercise:

   • Set Do Not Disturb status every time you are focused (like in the blocks of the previous exercise, MIT, lunch, meetings…).
   • Use time management tools to keep focused: The Pomodoro technique can help you.
   • Set a time for communications: messages, emails, etc. 2-3 times per day should be more than enough. If they happen in moments of low focus i.e., after lunch, much better.
   • Set clear expectations by communicating the measures to your team and stakeholders, so they know there will be a delay. Add a way to communicate urgencies (real urgencies!), so they know when they can count on you.

4. Avoid multitasking: Context switching, task switching, multitasking… whatever you want to call these behaviors, they’re incredibly hard on your already-taxed brain. And while the immediate costs might feel small, the compounding impact on your productivity is staggering.

   📝 Quick exercise:

   • Get the focus on just one thing, the most important (MIT again), only one at a time. If you complete one task daily, at the end of the week you will have completed the 5 most important tasks.

5. On Friday, at the end of the day, ask yourself:

   • How productive do you feel, from 1 to 10?
   • How would you evaluate your focus, from 1 to 10?
   • How much control over your agenda do you feel you have, from 1 to 10?
   • Compare the results with the values written on Monday
   • Propose 3 measures to increase the values by 1 point
   • Repeat next week! 🌀

Reference: Lidr

A fundamental and constant task you should carry out is evaluating the performance of your collaborators.

• ✏️ Prepare the foundations: To define the foundations, it is very important to start with the career ladder, setting those expectations and clarity that are held within each role on the engineering ladder. Define what performance means for the company, and ask yourself what metrics, behaviors, OKRs, competencies, and even cultural values you want to evaluate.

• 🛐 Evangelize your team: They are not prepared to give or receive feedback, and it is usually something They are not taught in our environment. So you, as a leader, should train your team to give that feedback in the right way. Likewise, your team must be clear about the evaluation process. Who does it? What is the format? What is the objective pursued when carrying out these 360 evaluations?

📊 Reunite and refine data**: Take the time to understand and comprehend the data. Evaluate what metrics, behaviors, facts, and values you can extract from the exercise. Does the evaluation correspond to reality? Are there biases that can affect the reading of the results?

• 💯 Formalize the results: Establish a format to present the data to your collaborators and evaluate it with them. How to transmit the message? Connect conclusions with data points or situations. Share with your direct report the good performance, where she failed but also how she can grow. Remember that communication is in 2 ways, you and her. Ask questions that will help you understand the results even better, and take the time to listen actively. Challenge her to keep growing and turn feedback into actionable next steps.

• ⏩ Follow Up constantly: Create a follow-up plan, run regular 1:1s with your collaborators and add two key ingredients to make this a long-term successful process: Training and challenges.

Reference: Lidr

Most common mistakes:

• It is not concrete or clear why They were doing that task (Affected motivation).
• Don't give freedom or autonomy.
• Don't celebrate milestones and only look at what must be improved.
• Share critiques in public — at team meetings, and do not wait to say what it's felt at that moment.

When you become a manager, you have to understand how to deliver the message properly and turn feedback into actionable next steps. However, It's not easy to do it when you don't have any proper training, practice, or even a framework you can follow, taking the risk of falling into two very common mistakes:

• ❌ Giving feedback so soft and indirect that your collaborator doesn't even recognize that he/she is receiving feedback and ignores it.
• ❌ Or otherwise, being so direct to the point that your employee takes a defensive position.

1. Ask for permission 🤔

   Start by asking permission from the other person. «Do you have a couple of minutes? I have some ideas to improve the process» «I want to tell you something about the performance of the meeting, can we talk?» These types of questions will anticipate to your collaborator's brain that there is feedback to come and, thus, create a moment of acceptance and autonomy.

2. Implement the SBI framework model 📋

   • [𝗦] Situation: Define when and where the situation happened. Be as specific as possible.
   • [𝗕] Behavior: Describe how that behavior occurred objectively and specifically. Keep to the facts, and don't insert opinions or judgments.
   • [𝗜] Impact: Show the impact of the person's behavior on you, your team, and the organization.

3. End with a question ❓

   • «What do you think about it?»
   • «I consider we should do this, but what do you think?»

   Closing with a bouncing question will turn the situation into a joint problem-solving moment where your collaborator also has the chance to share her opinion and decision.

It will create commitment on her part rather than compliance. Managers also have room for improvement.

Those who know how to give proper feedback also ask for it regularly.

As a manager, you also have things to improve, so the recommendation is to ask for constant feedback from your team members. — It will help you set up a better continuous improvement process and achieve higher performance.

Reference: Lidr

• 👉 I did 1:1s without prior preparation, not knowing what to say or how to empower the meeting.
• 👉 I had a hard time learning the different personalities of my team members.
• 👉 I got frustrated because I enjoyed coding, but I didn't have much time to do it with all my new functions. — However, I neither understood that my technical skills should evolve to provide a whole vision of the system to make accurate technical decisions.
• 👉 Last but not least, all the insecurity I felt of not having clarity on what to do, besides having the impostor syndrome all the time!!!!!

Promote growth and mobility: Workers are increasingly eager to see opportunities for learning, development, and advancement in their workplace. In addition, recent research from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations shows that those who have moved internally within a company not only tend to be high performers but are also more likely to stay with the organization over time. The highest-performing internal hires tend to stay the longest. While it is important to note that while some employees are looking for promotions, research suggests that many are not necessarily interested in additional work and responsibilities. Rather, they are simply seeking new challenges and the chance to explore something different. According to the MIT Sloan Review, lateral career opportunities are 12x more predictive of employee retention than promotions. So, to create a meaningful work experience for your employees, give them opportunities for growth, movement, and the development of new skills.

Build relationships: When employees feel they belong, they are 3.5x more likely to contribute to their full potential and are significantly more likely to feel connected to their work, according to research from the Harvard Business Review. That’s why company-organized social events, like happy hours, team-building excursions, dinners, and other fun activities outside the workplace are a great way to promote a healthy corporate culture, help your team members connect, and increase their sense of belonging at work.

Give your employees a voice: Employees tend to feel more connected to their work when they have a real voice on the team – the ability to influence decisions and processes. IBM research found that 90% of workers said that they are likely to stay at a company that takes and acts on their feedback. So, whenever possible, give your employees the chance to contribute their ideas, encourage them to take ownership, and involve them in decision-making processes.

Convey impact: When employees recognize the impact of their day-to-day activities, they are much more likely to find their work meaningful. So, take the time to help your team members understand how their role connects to your company's mission and values. It can be useful to share relevant customer testimonials with your team to highlight how their efforts are affecting others and helping the company achieve its goals.

• ✅ The first thing to do if you want to become a great leader, is to address those insecurities first. Talk to your manager and your team, be vulnerable, and don’t keep them just for yourself. You will learn that many of the assumptions about the future only live in your mind. And they could also tell you what they expect, so you avoid the perfectionism trap.

• ✅ Get a mentor to discuss your fears or insecurities. She will help you to set an action plan to overcome them based on her experience dealing with similar situations, and that pair of fresh eyes could be the objective perspective you are missing to balance your thoughts. It’s accelerated growth.

• ✅ Ask your mentor, manager, or team for feedback about your performance. They could also give you tips, examples, or resources to improve. Ask for help.

• ✅ Reflect on your goals achieved... DAILY, even if you think they are "insignificant”. Especially those that were hard to reach. When you come back to everything you have achieved over a longer period, i.e. one year, it will be easier for you to celebrate and gain confidence. Don’t just look above the ladder, only to find out how far you are from the top. That will always be moving. — Instead, take some time regularly to look below and see how far you are now from the ground.

• ✅ Compare yourself… but only with yourself. Today you are BETTER than yesterday! That’s the one and the only thing that matters, and what you need to ask yourself every night. Don’t waste your time comparing yourself to others, it will never be a fair comparison, and it will make you feel worse. Instead, invest that time and energy wisely in working on your improvement.

• ✅ Do the exercise of writing good things about yourself on paper, so you don't forget them. — Not only those you perceive, but also think about those moments in which someone else told you something good, and you did not value it.

• ✅ Don't stop doing new things! — Do things that are a challenge for you, things that involve leaving your comfort zone. Things that scare you and imply a change. Whatever it is, dare! Only then can you understand that you have much more capacity than you think to face the new and unknown.

Managers are role models in every aspect, whether we like it or not. You have a huge impact on the lives of every single member of your team (and beyond), but that can backfire if the model is not the right one. If you stay until 20:00, don't expect them to react to your policy that they should leave early. If you don’t prioritize your learning and growth, don’t expect them to be proactive when choosing courses or training.

A problem many managers face, especially new leaders, is working out how to solve conflicts between team members.

We all face conflict at some point in our lives, be it with family, friends, and even at work, and it is very normal to have them. They are part of our life.

Especially at work, conflicts cause bitter moments, frustrations, anxiety, and even sadness. They not only affect the people involved but also affect others for one simple reason: the energy they transmit.

Naturally, both leaders and collaborators try to avoid conflict at all costs. However, the key is not to fear them or try to avoid them but to learn how to deal with them in a healthy way.

Whether you are a leader or not, I know that you will inevitably experience conflict situations within your team. I have had them myself! So you need to prepare yourself to handle such issues in the right way.

Let's start from the beginning. Human beings act out of necessity. We are social animals interacting with other people to share, give what other person needs, and feel secure. But sometimes, we are selfish. Nothing wrong with that; it is a person's natural behavior. Although being selfish is natural, we should be careful about balancing our relationships, especially in our company.

We all give and take, and relationships have to be in balance. Balance in a relationship is defined by both parts: you and your teammates.

When there is an imbalance, conflict happens. That's essentially a conflict: the perception for someone that the exchange is not fair and are not getting the needs they want from that relationship.

How to resolve them efficiently?

1. Find out the imbalance and identify the problem.

   Your job as a manager is to find out what causes the imbalance and how to fix it, ask questions, and dig down.

   What's the need that is not being matched? This is the key to finding out how to solve conflicts.

2. Find out if you are responsible for it.

   We, as managers, are not the saviors of the world.

   When resolving a conflict, you must evaluate if it affects the team's goal: If it doesn't, step aside and let it go! But if it does, you must step in and fix it.

3. Make decisions following the proper order

   Every system needs an order to survive — understanding that a system is a group of people with a common goal. e.g., your team, the company.

   You are responsible for making decisions, so the system stays alive for as long as possible.

   It's recommended that you make decisions following this order:

    Leader < Individual < Team < Company 
   

   A person is less important than a team and less important than a bigger system: the company.

   For every decision, think first about the benefits of the biggest system.

   • "Is this the best decision for the company?" If it's not, it's a wrong decision. The company pays you to deliver results.

   • "Is this the best decision for the company and the team?" A better decision.

4. Prepare the process to prevent this kind of conflict from happening again

   Every time you get a conflict, take it as an opportunity to learn.

   Once the conflict is partially solved, run follow-ups in your 1:1 sessions to get the main takeaways from both parties and don't forget to take action to prevent this issue from happening again.

Here are 7 recommendations for managing conflicts in an organization:

• ✋  Do not immediately launch yourself into a reactive solution, especially when feelings are on the surface and you are going to act from your emotional side instead of your rational side. Give yourself a few minutes or even a few hours.
• 📚  Every time you observe a conflict, take it as an opportunity to learn. The reactions of those affected, what they say, what they express with their faces and their bodies, the agreement that is reached... You cannot imagine how much benefit you can get from these situations!
• 💬  Managing people is not like chopping code. It is not A → B, each person is different and has different needs. It requires communication, active listening and especially putting yourself in the shoes of each member of your team. You also have to get them to put on yours. This is how you will obtain solutions that take into account their interests and reach an agreement quickly and effectively.
• ⌛ Focus on the here and now to resolve the conflict. If you hold grudges based on past experiences, your ability to see the reality of the current situation will be influenced by great subjectivity.
• 🏁 When it comes to resolving a conflict, you need to assess whether it affects the team's goal: if it doesn't, walk away and let it go! But if it does, it's your responsibility to step in and fix it.
• 🔁 Keep in mind that relationships are not quantitative, they are qualitative: we cannot expect others to give us in the same proportion that we give. As long as there is a certain balance, there is no conflict.
• 🤼 Establish alliances with your team members! Make a list of things everyone agrees on or can live with, and come up with guidelines. During a conflict, these are the rules that all of you must follow.

You already know we all face conflicts in our workplace, the important thing is not to avoid them, but to manage them, overcome them and improve together 💪!

Has it happened to you that you have found the solution to a programming problem and your manager asks you to share that knowledge with the rest of the team so that they can learn from this experience?

At that point, you are forced to think in clear, concise terms about the solution you found, the design patterns you used, and the process you followed from start to finish.

You organize your ideas, ask yourself questions, clarify concepts, look for external support resources, and take screenshots of the code... You invest extra time in preparation, but, in the end, you are aware that you have more mastery of the subject, and you are more fluent: you have delved into the concept and you have internalized it. Now you are more expert.

Surely you already knew this, but what you probably don't know is WHY?

• When we teach someone, we are forced to organize our thoughts and explain concepts more clearly and concisely.

• We can also receive feedback and questions that force us to deepen our knowledge, helping us to discover new interesting aspects of the subject we are teaching or other points of view, expanding our understanding of it.

Rather than just reading or listening to information, teaching forces us to put what we've learned into practice, and this is especially helpful when it comes to skills that require a lot of practice like programming, people management, and soft skills.

The pyramid of experience, a pedagogical model classifies the effectiveness of different forms of learning in terms of retention after 2 weeks.

According to this pyramid, the retention of what has been learned increases as the student goes from the passive experience, such as listening or reading, to the active experience of discussing, doing or explaining something related to said learning.

When you find something useful or interesting ask yourself:

• What is so interesting and valuable that it would be worth teaching others?
• How would you go about explaining this concept to another person?

Take detailed notes, add examples, and go deeper into the topic knowing that they will be essential to share specific stories, studies, examples, and quotes that otherwise are impossible to remember.

Have you ever experienced the feeling of knowing something, but then having a hard time trying to explain it to someone else?

Or think that you know enough about a certain subject… Until you are asked to speak in public and the fear of the questions that they may ask you paralyzes you?

If it happened to you, great ✌️- you're on the right track.

Teaching others or mentoring from our experience makes us aware of gaps in our knowledge and we take quicker action to reinforce it.

Beyond the bottom of the pyramid, active learning in its many forms is most effective because it allows us to get quick feedback on our shortcomings, either because we don't get the desired result, because others challenge our ideas, or because of progress. observed in the learning of those we teach.

The acronym "VUCA" reflects the current reality, especially in the business environment, and is made of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, which refer to:

• Volatility: The speed with which significant changes occur.
• Uncertainty: The difficulty of foreseeing what may happen in the future.
• Complexity: The difficulty in understanding the context or situation in question.
• Ambiguity: The lack of clarity in understanding the environment, which in turn contributes to uncertainty.

And what are agile methodologies? It is a collaborative and flexible approach that focuses on the continuous delivery of value to the customer. Instead of working on a large project for months or even years, agile software teams work in shorter cycles and deliver frequent, smaller updates.

One of the most important things for technology leaders is to get outside of their area of expertise (backend, frontend, data) and look at the product from a higher-level perspective to drive expansion.

What do I mean by expansion?

Great tech leaders push the boundaries of the technologies they know horizontally, allowing them to see the technology as a whole.

Instead of focusing on how each part works individually, it's important to focus on how all the pieces fit together to meet business needs, including the interactions between different technologies and the processes that support them, as well as the teams responsible for them. each area.

It is the manager's responsibility to oversee the combined result and delegate the low-level details to your team.

However, it is important to note that not everything is horizontal.

As a technology leader, it also needed to take a top-down perspective and consider the long-term impact of the decisions made and the risks taken.

To strike the right balance across all areas that affect the team's bottom line, It's recommended to use a simple framework: the 3Ps (People-Product-Processes).

This framework defines how a business operates and helps ensure attention is paid to all relevant aspects that influence overall success.

Some examples of actions to take into account in each of the three areas:

• People

  • Having the right people with the right skills.
  • Create an environment that helps them perform at their best.

• Product

  • Translate business and product requirements into technical tasks together with the team.
  • Effectively prioritize what to do based on business impact.

• Processes

  • Define efficient and standard ways to handle each step and/or process: from communication between departments to implementation. How to collect information? How to decide? How to report the results?
  • To achieve this, frameworks and methodologies such as DevOps, Agile or Dora metrics allow us to obtain proven results out of the box.

There are 2 other key ingredients for the success of projects or initiatives in software teams: Planning and Communication.

🗓 Project Planning

Since resources (mainly time and money) are never infinite, your role in project management is to find the right balance for each case.

To facilitate this process, a framework that works very well is the Golden Triangle of project management. Have you seen it before?

What this golden triangle teaches you is that the quality delivered is limited by 3 variables:

• The scope of work, that is, the functionalities to be built.
• The deadline established to deliver.
• The available budget.

This can help you make decisions when any of the variables change, that is, if you have been asked to include an urgent feature, you only have 2 options to maintain the same quality: either the time should be extended, or the budget should be increased. Otherwise, the final product may be affected.

By negotiating these variables, by saying “no” if they cannot be guaranteed, or by finding alternatives, you will be able to maintain the desired quality and ensure that the project is successful. Give value to your planning, estimation and coordination work with the team and avoid distractions, scope changes and continuous changes of focus.

How?

• If you work with scrum, you can appeal to the planning so that nothing slips into a running sprint, and you always value it for the following ones.

• In case of accepting it, that always implies the output of some other functionality to maintain the scope as far as possible.

• If you can't say no and you can't sacrifice anything, the functionality is probably not fully defined, good practices are not used, or there are no tests. Make it very clear what risk is being taken and also guarantee time in the next sprint to refine. Lastly, be explicit that this is the exception, get their OK and raise your hand as soon as it happens again.

Have you ever felt lost having 1:1 sessions with your reports, not knowing what to talk about, or how to help you with your personal goals?

Do you feel that the mentoring you are providing to your team is not realistic or specific enough, that you have to "push" the person to explore the alternatives, or that they do not take action after the session?

All these and more situations are common when there is no strategy to follow to carry out an efficient coaching or mentoring process. For this reason, the GROW model can be helpful.

The GROW model is a very simple and highly effective framework used to help people set clear goals, and take specific actions to achieve them.

It was developed by Sir John Whitmore in the 1980s to provide support in clarifying goals, identifying possible obstacles, exploring innovative solutions and taking decisive action to achieve the stated objective.

This model focuses on asking open-ended questions and active listening to identify the goals of the person being mentored, analyze the current situation, and draw up action plans.

As you can see in the previous image, it is a model based on 4 stages, 4 important and decisive moments such as:

🏆 Goal:

It is important that the person you are accompanying (your mentee) knows what he/she wants and that it is clear to both him/her and you.

To achieve this, the first step is to set clear goals, either short or long-term. For this, I recommend using the SMART system.

You may already be familiar with the SMART system, but if you haven't used it before, remember that specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goals are essential to help the mentee set solid goals.

To guide your mentee in defining these goals, you can ask some of the following questions to gather key information:

• What is it that you want to achieve?
• Why is achieving this goal important to you and how will it benefit you?
• When do you hope to achieve it?
• How challenging is it for you?
• Is it an achievable goal considering your current resources and skills?
• How will you measure success?

👤 Reality:

Once the objective is defined, you need to have a clear and precise idea of the current situation of your mentee to know how far or close it is to reach it. Inquire about past actions and what obstacles may be holding back their development at this time.

Asking the following questions can be key to understanding the current situation:

• What factors led you to this point in your professional career?
• What is your current situation in specific terms? What is the reason behind your current situation?
• What have you tried so far, and what haven't you tried...?
• What has stopped you?
• What has worked for you in the past that could work here?
• What was the result?
• What has prevented you from taking further action?

🧩 Options:

The third step is to come up with a list of possible options that could help your mentee address the goal set out and choose which one will best help you move forward.

Here are some questions that can help stimulate your creativity to find possible solutions:

• What comes to mind to achieve the goal?
• If money didn't matter, what do you see yourself doing?
• If time is not a limitation, what would you do?
• If you had a magic wand, what would you change?
• What other things would you do?
• What idea do you like best?

🔀 Will:

This last step, It's about concrete actions and responsibilities.

Once the objective is established, the current situation has been explored, and the available options have been evaluated, it is time to put an action plan into action.

Make sure the mentee has specific actions to take, a follow-up schedule, and clear metrics to measure progress.

Help him make a real commitment and make expectations clear.

For example, you can ask what is the probability from 1 to 10 that you will carry out this action. and thus correct a possible lack of commitment or specificity in the actions to be taken, or what would prevent you from doing it? to address obstacles that could slow down the plan, such as when it depends on third parties, budget, etc.

In conclusion, the GROW model is an effective tool to help your team members set clear goals, identify obstacles, explore options, and establish concrete action plans.

Through the use of this model, a manager can provide effective guidance and support to the team — making your work as a mentor transform and bring your collaborators closer to achieving their goals. This is one of the most effective ways to multiply your impact and improve talent retention, in addition to being able to use it beyond your organization, in pro-bono or paid mentoring programs, and thus earn extra income.

The first task, for technology leaders with a more comprehensive vision is required, who create and maintain a culture of product engineering. There's frustration due to liability disagreements, and even stories of technically impressive products that users end up not liking and dying quickly, or feature-rich products that consumed a lot of time and money and delivered no real value to the end user.

We need to create multidisciplinary or cross-functional teams. These teams are made up of professionals with different specialized skills and responsibilities, who feel like real owners of a product and work as a team.

Creating these teams is not that easy, it takes skilled leaders with extensive knowledge to create “missionary teams”, not “mercenary teams” — a phrase that Camille Fournier defines very well in his book The Manager's Path.

Camille explains the difference: mercenary teams build what they're told to build; missionaries, instead, are true believers in the vision and are committed to solving problems for their clients because they are motivated and UNITED. They do not recite the typical phrase: "It is that this is not my responsibility."

Sabemos que hace mucho tiempo existen equipos compuestos por personas de ingeniería, diseño, producto, marketing y QA, que trabajan en conjunto. Uno de los más conocidos son los squads o células, famosos por el modelo Spotify.

So why do mercenary teams still exist?

The reason is simple, and Alex Fernadez (@pinchito) describes it very well on his blog:

Different reporting lines have been created.

In his example, the product depends on the CPO and technology on the CTO, generating the famous phrase:

“I don't even know who my manager is” which actually translates into: “I don't know who to listen to”

For this reason, it is necessary that there is only one leader of these teams and in the case of the world of technology, as Alex believes, the CTO is in charge of becoming this leader.

And you may wonder... Why the CTO and not the CPO?

First, being in a sector where technology-based products are developed, his vision generates great value. And second, they can be easily complemented by other disciplines.

This is where the current profile of a technology leader creating “Tech Product Teams” requires an open mind, the ability to discover and learn, and a clear goal to be efficient and profitable, which requires developing the product vision (as well as the ability to manage the complexity of the systems that are created based on these new ideas).

But every time you climb in your career, your vision has to start to increase degrees of vision, to become 360°: from knowing your area of expertise to knowing a little about all of them and making them work together. From there know how to manage people, delegate, hire... And from there to be able to bring the product to success.

As you can see, to unite these two brothers, the new leaders in technology, they need to develop skills that complement the purely technical. They, as well as their teams, have to evolve from software engineers to product engineers.

And watch out! This product methodology is not new, it's just that, at some point in our education, we were taught that everything related to technology or better, software engineering tended to be 100% code, and we forgot that the basis of engineering and technology is the scientific method:

• Characterize: Make an observation of the current state
• Hypothesis: Create a description, a theory that can explain your observation.
• Predict: Make a prediction based on the hypothesis.
• Experiment: Test your prediction.

It sounds a lot like current product methodologies, and it's always been in our DNA, we've just forgotten about it.

As David Farley says in his latest book: “Remembering it and applying it will help us make progress on the basis of small, informal experiments, limiting our risk of jumping into a compromise solution and ending up with getting a better job”

There is a skill that is increasingly needed among technology leaders. A skill that, when you're able to power it up, will make you a unicorn 🦄  in the tech industry. Yes, It's the entrepreneurial mindset.

• 👉 Have you ever stopped to think about what makes entrepreneurs unique?
• 👉 What leads you to leave a safe job, and risk everything to solve a problem that you have identified in society without giving up?
• 👉 Or better yet, how can they stay focused, perform at their highest level, radiate optimism and attract the best talent, despite endless work days, debt, commitments, fierce competition, or an uncertain and volatile environment?

The entrepreneurial mindset is a set of skills and attitudes that make a difference.

From passion to resilience to communication to problem-solving, entrepreneurs exhibit highly desirable qualities in any position and in any organization.

Leading successfully in the technology sector requires much more than this entrepreneurial mindset, but having the mindset, attitude, business knowledge, and vision will make a BIG difference from the first contact.

🧠 The entrepreneurial mindset

It means behaving like a CEO, whether it's a junior developer or a CTO. It's an attitude toward work, no matter where you are in the organization.

It means feeling ownership of the business and doing everything possible for its benefit. It means thinking about the customer and the problem the company is trying to solve, and not just working with the latest technology. Remember that technology is only a means to a goal.

What key ingredients do you need to launch a successful business?

• 💼 Sense of belonging: Entrepreneurs are responsible for everything that happens in the business and will do whatever it takes to succeed. They risk their income and their own money for a dream. Feeling the owner of a project, and developing that ownership, implies other skills such as:

  • Passion: You want to solve that problem in the world, and you love the work that goes into making it happen, even if you don't like some of the tasks.
  • Problem Solver: You are a born problem solver. Entrepreneurship is precisely about: solving a relevant problem for customers. Think of anyone who requests something as an end customer. Treat them like this and see the difference.
  • Resilience: You have the will to keep going, even when the going gets tough. You know it's part of the process, you know how to get an energy boost in those moments and you never give up.

• 🧭 Self-direction: An entrepreneur starts from scratch, from a blank page. You won't find a guide there, there are no processes, tools, documents, clients, or sales, THERE IS NOTHING. Create the path. It starts with a goal and draws up a plan. It has its own internal compass that guides it. In fact, that internal compass takes you off the beaten path and your comfort zone. This ability to self-guide oneself implies other skills such as:

  • Proactivity: You don't wait for someone to solve your problems, you know that solutions, like opportunities, won't come to you by magic. You just go out there, face the challenges and find the answers yourself.
  • Self-motivation: You come home motivated. You know why you do what you do, and you shape your environment to make it easier. Reaching the great goal that you have set for yourself helps you stay in the fight when difficult situations come.
  • Autonomy: You can work on your own, with the support of others (yes), but you don't get blocked. Others advise you, but you do not feel dependent.

• 💡 Innovation: Once entrepreneurs have charted their path, they must create everything from scratch, everything comes from their head. Not only the product but also the entire structure that a company requires to operate, from the people and skills to HOW they all operate: the culture!

  • Creativity: You find new ways to solve problems. You are curious, you experiment and try new things without fear of failure. You learn fast, think outside the box, and use a different approach to problems.
  • Customer orientation: The customer is at the center. You value their opinions, and their comments and you are close to them to make your decisions. You think outside the box and use a different approach to every problem that comes up.
  • Faith: You act with confidence, even when no one believes in you or is not even able to understand your product. You are not afraid of failure or the mistakes you may make along the way, you are fully aware that success will not come immediately.
  • Continuous improvement: Everything could be better, of course. You don't settle for yourself. You always look for your best version with ambition. And it is that nothing is written in stone. You are aware of the VUCA environment in which you live and the competitive advantage of knowing how to adapt quickly.

• 📣 Communication: Entrepreneurs need others to fulfill their dream, whether it is a team that helps them co-create and sell the product, investors that finance the activity, customers that buy... They need highly developed communication skills to adapt to all these very different environments and achieve their goals.

  • Adaptability: having different profiles, personalities, and objectives. You need to be able to adapt to each environment, from reporting to different stakeholders to offering a motivational speech to your team.
  • Effective communication, verbal and non-verbal. Give clear and concise messages. Empathetic, honest, and vulnerable attitude. You know that the important thing is others and you give them the importance they deserve.
  • Optimism: When you strongly believe in your purpose there is nothing to stop you. You think positively, you detect opportunity and value in any learning experience, and experience only adds up, and each step you take brings you closer to success.
  • Team Player: You know you can go further and faster with a team. You value the superpower that each person has. And you know that working with others will make your dream come true. In the same way, you delegate with confidence and demand in equal parts, celebrating triumphs with others, accompanying them, and helping them achieve their goals.
  • Inspiration: With your attitude, you set an example and don't just talk empty words. You work harder and are more efficient. You protect your well-being and manage your time effectively. You take time to keep growing. And believe me, all this inspires others to be better. You are a multiplier!

As you can see, leading successful technology teams requires much more than this entrepreneurial mindset, but having this mindset will make all the difference from the first contact and when that is the case, everything emerges at all levels of leadership.

In the end, developing this key mindset will help you become a unicorn in the industry. 🦄

CTOs are often connected to the business, speak the same language, communicate effectively, and make decisions from a business point of view... In fact, CTOs are expected to have some experience to fully own the vision from a technical point of view, lead their teams autonomously, motivate team members, be an example to follow, etc.

The problem occurs further down the hierarchy. Managers, team leads, and developers very often don't have this mindset.

Perhaps they don't have enough exposure to the business and don't make their decisions with it in mind, or they don't have the communication skills to influence their teams and peers. They have not even considered that in leadership roles this is what is expected of them, no one clearly explained it to them.

Whatever the cause, for me this lack of attitude and business vision is what leads to poor performance of many technology teams.

It is inevitable to lose talent. Currently, it is very, very difficult (especially in digital companies) to retain talent beyond 3-4 years.

The important thing is how you prepare the company for when this happens and also how the replacement is managed.

👉 Prepare quickly for the situation: Again, an emergency plan, is a top priority, and dedicate all the quality time possible.

👉 Carry out a top-level hiring process: Prepare an attractive offer with clear expectations and roles, considering what might be required not only in the present but also in the future.

👉 Facilitate a smooth transition: With quality time for each of the new team members.

👉 Absorb all the know-how and document it: Essential to ensure that processes, routines, standards, and details stay with the company, to speed up the landing and to guarantee the continuity of operations without disruptions. Also, to bother the departing person as little as possible.

👉 If possible, have them stay on as an advisor: A potential replacement would have the advisor at hand and would receive support in areas where they simply shone.

Do not blame the person for wanting to take another path and do not feel bad about it.

The professional goal of the other person should always be put on the table. Evaluate if the organization and both can facilitate the achievement of that goal, and only if it is a YES should you proceed with the cultural fit, technical questions, and other phases of the hiring process.

If the person's goal is to get to Google, do whatever is possible for the necessary time so that Google knocks on their door. If the goal is to become an Engineering Manager, the same applies. The organization should get involved so that they can train, be given responsibilities, work on challenging projects, and with top-level professionals. Maximize their potential so that while they add value to the company, they feel that they are "training" and "preparing" for their next version.

Alvaro Moya from LIDR says: I measure my footprint in the world by the impact I have on other people, and for a long time, I believe this is the way. As a leader, you have to facilitate them being their best version every day, regardless of the direct benefit you get from it.

Imagine the ability to vanish for an entire month and return to find the company in even better shape than it was left. This scenario illustrates the contrast in how vacations can be managed.

Step 1️⃣ Transition into vacation mode occurs a few days in advance, lingering for the first few weeks after returning.

Step 2️⃣ Vacations are seen as opportunities for team members to step up and take over the absent colleague’s responsibilities.

The "Honeymoon Test" is based on two central premises:

A true vacation is characterized by a complete disconnection. If support, validation, approval, or presence in a meeting is required, the honeymoon test is not passed. It indicates that the individual is indispensable and irreplaceable, making them a risk to the organization.

For many people, a vacation is merely an interval that separates two identical phases of life and work. Upon return, there’s a need to compensate for the days missed. This can create anxiety that negates any relaxation or creativity gained during the break.

Vacations should offer benefits upon return, not just during the break. It’s about recharging for long-term effects, not draining energy immediately upon return.

Going the EXTRA MILE means integrating elements of “vacation mode” into everyday life. It’s not an anxiously awaited annual period but becomes a part of daily living, offering breaks for reading in a hammock, avoiding TV and social media, and engaging in profound future-oriented conversations.

To ensure a liberating return from vacation, tasks should be properly delegated. This involves ensuring the team has everything necessary to function independently, anticipating possible unforeseen situations, and facilitating resources and support for the team in absence.

Maintaining an "inbox zero" policy ensures a fresh start upon return, emphasizing the importance of communication before leaving and the delegation of email responsibilities during the absence.

The return should be liberating. It's a time for redefining roles, assessing where the most value can be added, and transitioning from being the lead actor to a supporting role, facilitating rather than executing or planning.

Preparation before departure ensures the remaining team members have everything needed to keep the machine running smoothly without needing the absent individual.

Every tip might not be feasible for immediate implementation, but selecting the most suitable ones for individual and team needs can make a significant positive impact.

So, how to prepare for a return from vacation that feels liberating? Here’s an approach:

Ensuring that everything is well-organized and in place is essential. It involves checking that the team has all the necessary resources to carry out their work independently. Several key questions should be addressed:

Updating the status of ongoing projects and opportunities is crucial, including understanding the context of the stakeholders, the state of conversations, proposals made, critical timings, and upcoming tasks. This clarity ensures that everyone knows the priorities, timelines, and work to be completed.

Anticipating possible scenarios and having an action plan for unforeseen circumstances is vital. It helps prevent the team from reaching out during unexpected situations.

Sharing all necessary documentation, including contacts, processes/guides, used tools, project documents, repositories, and ensuring they have the required access if not already available is essential.

Identifying individuals who can assist during unexpected (yet non-critical) situations and connecting them with the team helps ensure support is available.

Ensuring an effective handover to third parties, making introductions, and supporting the process as necessary (e.g., handover meetings, copying on certain emails) is part of ensuring a smooth transition.

This approach ensures a sense of liberation upon returning from vacation, with the confidence that everything has been well-managed and the team is equipped to handle ongoing responsibilities efficiently.

To start with a clean slate after returning from vacation, it’s vital for the team to understand that emails received during the absence are as if they never existed.

Emails should be deleted, starting from zero upon return. Here’s a preparation strategy:

• Inform contacts beforehand that if something requires attention, they should remember to resend it on the day of return.
• Leave a note in the Out of Office (OoO) message to remind senders.
• Minimize "cc" messages; if support won’t be provided during the vacation, request not to be copied on emails. With luck, this practice will continue upon return, freeing up both the inbox and mental space.

The primary goal is ensuring that no backlog of tasks awaits upon return and that all responsibilities are smoothly transitioned to the team.

This approach frees up a significant amount of time, enabling focus on growth. However, it requires meticulous planning!

Upon return, the focus is on redefining roles and identifying areas where the most value can be added, akin to embarking on a new season of a favorite Netflix series.

Holding one-on-one meetings with team members is recommended to catch up on what was missed, understand upcoming challenges, and identify how to offer support.

This process transforms the returning individual from a central figure to a supporting role, emphasizing facilitation over execution and planning.

👉 The essential takeaway is the importance of ensuring, before departure, that those remaining on duty are well-equipped to keep operations running smoothly without needing additional support.

There’s no need for panic if the implementation of these tips seems overdue. There’s always time to choose the most fitting recommendations for the individual and team and apply them when possible.

Just-In-Time microlearning is a crucial concept for any high-performance professional, whether a manager or not. The ability to learn continuously and rapidly is key to adapting in a fast-evolving world.

For learning to be effective, it must be immediately applicable.

Microlearning isn’t about dedicating just 15 minutes a day; it's about focusing on a very specific area of knowledge. This requires extended periods of time and a suitable environment conducive to reflection, note-taking, consuming content in various formats, and contemplating its application to specific situations.

To extract real value from training and book reading, optimizing learning time is essential. Every reading session should contribute to immediate skill or knowledge enhancement, aligning with professional or personal objectives. This strategy ensures that the acquired knowledge isn’t just theoretical but is readily applicable, enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness in the real world.

“A manager has a lot of work; it's their responsibility to manage time and energy where it yields the highest output.” — Andy Grove—

Sounds familiar?

Take someone who doesn’t read a book from beginning to end, for instance.

They utilize the index to navigate to relevant sections, especially in non-fiction works, where sequence is less critical than in a novel. The index structures ideas, serving as a mental map.

This approach aligns reading with upcoming challenges, aiming to enhance skills in areas of imminent necessity. It’s a strategy for short-term preparation.

Landing in a leadership role isn’t a guided or standard process, making individuals prone to mistakes. However, something that can augment leadership, boost team growth, and achieve greater professional success is the incorporation of mentorship and coaching. These tools provide guidance, perspective, and actionable strategies to navigate the complexities of leadership effectively.

Reading material should be selected with the intention of solving existing challenges. It facilitates the immediate application of acquired knowledge, maximizing the benefits of reading.

Forget about starting on page one and reading straight through to the end. Non-fiction books are not meant to be linear. Utilize the index to navigate to the most relevant sections, and skim until the sought-after answers are found.

There's no obligation to finish every book started, especially when the goal is to address immediate challenges. Sometimes, the value lies in 10-15 pages across different books. Efficiency is key.

Jot down both relevant quotations and spontaneous thoughts or ideas. Ideally, notes should be made outside the book, and digitally if possible, to facilitate easy revisiting and keyword searching.

Public transportation journeys or other idle times can be turned into opportunities for growth without sacrificing anything significant. Avoid getting lost in social media scrolling or reading work emails that can’t be immediately addressed. After dinner, consider reading instead of watching TV. Incorporating podcasts while performing daily chores can also be beneficial. Establishing this habit can provide an extra hour or more daily for personal development.

Engaging in conversations about concepts, ideas, or reflections deepens understanding. It allows the exploration of different perspectives, recommendations of related books, application examples, and overlooked limitations.

Always seek book recommendations from trusted friends, mentors, and technology leaders. Time is too precious to waste on poor-quality reads, so ensuring that reading material is well-vetted is crucial for optimizing learning time.

These strategies are designed to transform reading into an efficient, problem-solving, and enriching activity, leading to immediate and impactful application in professional and personal life.

In most cases, the lack of motivation stems from not enjoying the "how" of doing our work or not having a clear reason behind what we are doing.

Here are two of the most common causes of demotivation:

1. 👉 Lack of clear direction, as we don’t know where to channel our energy (focus). Without direction, or with constantly changing directions, it becomes difficult to progress, leading us to feel our work is futile. This drastically impacts our motivation.

2. 👉 Our physiology is also affected by post-vacation depression. When we feel sad, stressed, or haven’t rested enough, our energy levels drop, making it difficult to function effectively and feel motivated by daily tasks.

As a leader, one of your key roles is to motivate team members so they are eager to get to work each day. After all, as has been said before, your primary objective and the reason you are valued is for maximizing your team’s performance.

To achieve this, you need to ensure that each team member takes ownership of their work. This sense of ownership is incredibly motivating and leads to increased effort, resulting in greater achievements. They are motivated by personal fulfillment, not financial reward, and feel they are more than just a cog in a larger, impersonal system, finding purpose in their tasks.

Here are some tips to enhance intrinsic motivation:

• Encourage team members to fully utilize their skills and abilities. Assign tasks that are challenging yet achievable and require the use of various skills.

• Allow them to work on a complete task from start to finish; this is more motivating than working on just a small part of a task like a robot on an assembly line. It also encourages the use of diverse skills.

• Help them understand the significance of the task and its benefits for the team, the overall company, and the customer. This way, they will be able to see the broad impact of their actions.

• If your team members have a level of autonomy, meaning they have broad objectives and are allowed to choose their own path to achieve them, they tend to have higher intrinsic motivation. Discuss this occasionally in 1-1s and define it thoroughly in the performance review, ideally every quarter or at least every semester.

• Provide clear and immediate feedback so they know they are meeting expectations and performing well. Complement this with coaching or mentoring in 1-1 sessions, and document it. You will need to justify progress and areas for improvement in the performance review, ensuring clear and continuous professional development.

• Schedule a 1-on-1 meeting with each team member.

• Ask them what they love most about their job and what they’d like to do more of.

• Assure them that you will do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE (and mean it) to enable them to do more of that and engage in activities or projects where they can grow, enjoy, and excel.

• However, make it clear that nothing is guaranteed, but you want them to give their best and believe this approach will unleash their full potential. This is not just for better results, but also for enhanced motivation.

• Then, make the effort. You are giving FIRST. You are attending to them as individuals, with their own goals and motivations. You are building trust and loyalty from day one post-vacation.

We live in turbulent times, where economic news is more often disheartening than encouraging, where people live in fear and uncertainty, and where every working-age individual must rapidly learn to avoid falling behind.

The permanent arrival of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not news to anyone.

However, it is up to us to view it as a threat (risking job loss, for example) or as an opportunity (learning how to use it to enhance our value in the market).

Indeed, AI can become a significant ally in your daily life. It's a powerful tool that enables managers to elevate their performance, boost productivity, and enhance the results contributed by both them and their teams to the company.

Therefore, whether you like it or not, learning how to work effectively with AI is essential for your professional growth.

AI is automating routine tasks and enhancing decision-making, which can be immensely beneficial. However, it also implies that managers need to adapt to a new environment with new tools and a different allocation of their time:

• 🤖 Automation: AI efficiently performs repetitive tasks, freeing up managers to focus on higher-value, strategic activities that only THEY can undertake.

• 🧐 Decision-Making: AI enhances decision-making by providing accurate data and analysis, as well as quick summaries and responses. Understanding how and when to use this information source is crucial.

• 🌐 Remote Management: With geographically dispersed teams, AI aids in the effective management of projects, documentation, and remote collaboration.

• 📈 Professional Development: As a leader, you should boost the development of your team’s key skills in this new world where effectively using a simple chat can increase a developer’s productivity by 300%.

Despite these challenges, managers still have a significant role. Here are some ways to be a productive manager in the Age of AI:

• 🤝 Collaboration: Encourage your team to maximize the benefits of AI and turn it into an ally. Allow them to experiment and test it in simple use cases (testing, technical documentation, refining user stories, etc.)

• 🔍 Continuous Learning: Stay updated on the latest trends and how they can be applied daily: more efficient meetings, note-taking, tracking 1-1s, etc.

• 📊 Critical Analysis: Use AI to gather data and access relevant information quickly but apply critical analysis to the results. You hold unique insights into business context, quarterly goals, and the value each team member contributes. Even with AI as a “co-pilot,” you remain accountable for decisions. “ChatGPT recommended it” won’t be a valid excuse.

• 🙌 Skill Development: Help your team develop relevant skills like data handling, writing good prompts, business insight, and effective communication. These are key to maximizing AI tools, enhancing group performance, and aligning everyone (humans and computers) with the company’s goals.

Don’t fear AI; embrace it as an ally in your managerial career.

Disruptive technology and radical innovation can be intimidating as they change the rules of the game. It happened with cars, radio, blockchain, and is now happening with generative AI. And it will continue.

Yet, these are just tools for specific use cases, like a hammer or glasses; they help us perform certain tasks better, faster, or cheaper.

Leveraging AI daily will be essential for future success, much like English is today. Being from the tech world, you’re better positioned than most.

You might be passionate about programming, but as you progress in your career, the opportunity (perhaps in disguise) to assume a leadership and management role presents itself.

What should you do? Do you heed or silence that inner voice urging you to seize the opportunity?

Well, it depends!

One reason to stay as a developer is if programming is your passion - if you're all about solving technical problems and developing solutions. Moving away from programming could distance you from what you genuinely enjoy.

However, if you’re looking to take on new challenges, contribute more value to your organization, have a broader impact (beyond just coding), and grow professionally and financially, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone, then make your move!

But move with a clear understanding of what the transition to a leadership role entails, including skills, functions, and responsibilities.

Did you know that 53% of tech managers have no clue what awaits them when transitioning into leadership roles? One in two doesn’t even understand the role until they’re in it!

When you make the leap and stop programming, you must confront:

• 1️⃣ Leaving the Programmer’s Routine: Stepping into the tech lead role brings new and different functions. Balancing these tasks and slightly distancing yourself from coding to start inspiring your team will be one of your primary challenges.

• 2️⃣ Time Management: You’ll deal with meetings, interviews, onboarding, planning, 1:1s, performance reviews, among other new functions. Learning to organize your time will be essential.

• 3️⃣ Communication Skills: The #1 skill to develop, even before landing in the role. It’s worth emphasizing that communication isn’t just about talking. It involves empathy, active listening, learning to give feedback, and conflict resolution.

• 4️⃣ Thinking Ahead: You’re no longer a developer completing a ticket that goes into production tomorrow. You’re considering the consequences of all your actions and decisions. A tech lead must always have a plan, not just to meet set objectives but also to handle various situations alongside the team.

• 5️⃣ Lack of Guidance: Many developers transition to leadership roles due to "opportunity" in the company, or rather, as I call it, "need disguised as opportunity." The issue is that few companies prepare you; they don’t understand that the opportunity you’re taking is a career change, not merely a promotion.

If you decide to embrace the leadership path, remember, it's about balancing the technical with the managerial, and harmonizing the needs of the project with those of your team. Adaptability, continuous learning, and embracing the evolution of your role are the keys to thriving as a productive manager in the age of AI.

From the previous perspective, there are five key questions that will help determine if one is truly prepared to transition into a leadership role or if it is the right choice for one's career.

Consider these questions:

❓ Comfort with postponing one's to-do list? Leadership is not about executing tasks but about attending to people. This means moving from being an individual contributor to managing teams, and therefore, letting go of certain tasks (such as programming).

❓ Ability to listen? Is there comfort in listening to others' problems? How about empathy? Active listening involves fully concentrating on what the other person is saying and understanding their thoughts, ideas, and emotions.

❓ Communication with effectiveness and assertiveness? A significant portion of time will be spent in meetings and interacting with teams, meaning that much of the job will involve effective communication. Communication is key everywhere: in mentoring processes, one-on-one meetings, when delegating tasks, sharing a new project, or even resolving conflicts.

❓ Confidence in giving and receiving feedback? Mastering feedback is a major challenge for any leader, mainly because different personalities are involved in each interaction. Developing this skill will advantage in having insightful conversations with team members to evaluate how to improve outcomes.

❓ Initiative or waiting for others' approval? As a manager, one must learn to identify business opportunities and be willing to take risks, both to lead the team and to steer the company in the right direction. This will often require taking the initiative, even if it means making difficult decisions and stepping out of one's comfort zone.

Transitioning from a developer to any leadership role in technology is a journey rife with a complex blend of emotions. The excitement and enthusiasm for the uncharted territories ahead intertwine with anxiety and fear, stemming from the pressure to meet not only personal expectations but also those of others.

In guiding developers through their transition to managers over the years, four common scenarios have been identified that often act as barriers to optimal progress. These situations are universally experienced, revealing a pattern that, when addressed, can unlock the pathway to successful leadership in technology.

Navigating through the haze of questions like, "What is expected of me in this new role? Where is the documentation? Nobody has explained it to me yet," can be daunting. Such uncertainty during the transition induces stress and anxiety, undermining confidence and performance.

The lack of clarity about the role, daily tasks, responsibilities, and what the first three months will entail, coupled with the often absent or inadequate onboarding process, fosters insecurity. Fact:

The sentiment, "I'm not equipped to take the necessary actions," is not uncommon. A deficit in managerial skills hinders objective attainment and erodes self-confidence. The recurring failures and unmet goals exacerbate feelings of inadequacy.

Three out of five managers receive no training in these vital skills. Community studies reveal an even grimmer picture - only 25% of managers are pre-equipped with these essential capabilities. Being a senior developer doesn’t inherently prepare one for the leap to management. The transition ushers in a slew of new roles, tasks, tools, and skills to master.

An additional stat underscores the severity - 50% of employees believe their performance would enhance if their managers received adequate training.

With an avalanche of tasks and constant interruptions, the sentiment, "I'm overwhelmed," is pervasive. Time management and prioritization become critical in this new role, and maintaining focus is essential to stave off burnout.

However, prioritizing time effectively is often a hurdle, especially when it's unclear what's important. With a spectrum of roles and tasks vastly different from a developer’s typical coding responsibilities, mastering prioritization, task estimation, and focus becomes indispensable.

Result: A sun-to-sun work schedule and an ensuing burnout.

The dread of being an inadequate leader and failing creeps in. Questions like, "Am I really cut out for this?" amplify the impostor syndrome, shaking confidence and self-esteem. It's not about inadequacy but rather an unsteady start and lack of support.

Reality: Almost 100% of managers experience this tumultuous mix of emotions during the transition, often without fully grasping the associated challenges and ramifications.

By now, it should be abundantly clear that leadership extends far beyond simply telling people what to do, unilaterally planning, delegating tasks, or scheduling regular one-on-one meetings to check on the project's progress.

Nor does it encompass uttering phrases like:

• 🚩 "If it’s not broken, why fix it?"
• 🚩 "We’ve always done it this way"
• 🚩 "That idea won’t work"
• 🚩 "It will be done this way because I said so"

You've likely heard one or more of these gems from an autocratic boss or someone who adheres to outdated management practices.

These attitudes stifle team ownership and creativity. They demotivate, halt growth, and squelch the potential of every team member. Sound leadership fosters an environment where innovation, creativity, and productivity flourish. It requires an attuned awareness to avoid the pitfalls of traditional, top-down management and embraces a more inclusive, empowering approach. Each team member's contributions are valued, and collective efforts are channeled towards achieving shared objectives.

In the dynamic, fast-paced tech world, embracing change, encouraging innovative thinking, and fostering an environment of collaboration and mutual respect is not just beneficial - it’s essential. Effective leaders understand this and are adept at navigating their teams through the complexities of the modern workplace, ensuring not just the growth of the organization but also the professional and personal development of each team member.

They don’t lag behind, pushing or forcing their team members; instead, they lead from the front, guiding, exerting the most effort, protecting their team, and crediting them for their successes.

Sherpas lead others to the summit of Everest (their goal), working harder than anyone else, teaching, preventing accidents, and even taking their photo at the peak.

This metaphor illustrates what leadership should encapsulate: assisting, serving, and striving to lead the team to the pinnacle of their objectives.

Achieving this feat requires a Sherpa-leader to establish a robust trust relationship, be adept in communication (both speaking and listening), and acknowledge the team's efforts and successes. It is through such qualities that individuals entrust their lives into the hands of a previously unknown Sherpa.

As such, in the professional sphere, the role of leaders is parallel. Their mission is to navigate the team through the intricate paths of organizational challenges, equipping them with the necessary tools and skills, ensuring their safety (both psychologically and professionally), and leading them to success. This journey is marked by mutual trust, open communication, and the recognition that each milestone achieved is a collective effort. Every team member is integral, and their contributions are not only acknowledged but celebrated.

In this leadership style, the traditional top-down hierarchy is eschewed for a more collaborative, inclusive, and supportive approach, where the leader is not a distant figure of authority but an integral, hands-on part of the team, navigating the challenges and celebrating the victories alongside every member.

Much like a Sherpa who knows the path to the mountain's summit, an effective leader must possess a clear vision of the business's direction and how technology must evolve to support it. Understanding the objectives and goals and translating them into technical plans is essential. Communicating these transparently to the team provides clarity. With this clarity, a leader ensures that the team is well-informed about the direction and knows how to reach the destination.

Sherpas are masters of their trails, earning the essential trust of those who follow them, often with their lives at stake. Similarly, an effective leader builds the team's trust daily, embodying honesty, keeping promises, showing genuine interest in their development, and being available for support when needed. Building trust requires time, effort, and consistency but is foundational to robust leadership.

Akin to a Sherpa who encourages and motivates climbers to reach the peak, an effective leader inspires the team to strive for goals. It’s not solely about presenting intellectual challenges or visualizing success; it also involves recognizing and rewarding achievements, uplifting the team during tough times, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie, and keeping everyone focused on the shared purpose.

Sherpas are continuous learners, gleaning insights from their peers and adapting to the mountain's shifting conditions. Likewise, a leader should be a perpetual learner, open to listening to the team and outcomes, learning from mistakes, and seeking regular improvement and growth. Creating an environment that fosters continuous learning for team members is equally critical, nurturing them to become not only better engineers but also to acquire leadership skills.

Sherpas lead from the front, embracing risks and exerting effort. A leader should epitomize the qualities and behaviors expected from the team, whether it’s punctuality, sacrifice during challenging times, meticulousness in documentation, or respectful communication.

By leading by example, a leader showcases dedication and commitment, reinforcing the team’s faith in the leadership and instilling a collective sense of purpose and direction. In Closing

Embodying these five keys of effective leadership ensures a synergistic relationship between leaders and their teams. With clarity, trust, motivation, a culture of learning, and leading by example, leaders can navigate the intricate paths of organizational challenges and opportunities, driving not only the growth of the organization but also fostering the professional and personal development of each team member. This approach ensures a cohesive, innovative, and productive team ready to ascend to new heights of success.

This is what I refer to as informal leadership. If you’re clear about your progression beyond senior roles, start practicing TODAY the key skills you'll need TOMORROW!

Need a couple of concrete examples?

• ❌ An effective leader doesn't plan alone in their office and delegate execution but

• ✅ co-creates the next milestones with their team, leveraging their experience and knowledge.

• ❌ A leader doesn't command based on their position and hierarchy but

• ✅ clarifies the “what” and the “why,” and makes decisions with the team on the “how.”

During these planning and refining meetings, you act as a facilitator and mentor, contributing your experience and enabling team members to bring their ideas and creativity. You guide the course through reflection (perhaps you can illustrate why a particular approach might not be the best based on your past experiences, knowledge, or privileged information) rather than authority.

You provide clarity on the company’s objectives, showing trust in their judgment, and creating a learning environment where they become better leaders, and you become a better engineer. This fosters immense motivation because team members feel part of significant decisions, enjoy autonomy in their work, and develop new and valuable skills. If you also set an example of preparation, punctuality, documentation, and communication, you’re laying the foundations for them to replicate these behaviors in the future. You’re leading by example.

These five tools form the core of effective leadership that we champion at Ignite, where we train future leaders - those aspiring to become genuine Tech Sherpas.

I understand that those outside the tech world might sometimes view us as somewhat eccentric, and yes, maybe we have our quirks. However, our professional challenges and concerns mirror those of many others.

We seek satisfaction, motivation, and professional growth, don't we?

Many feel stuck or trapped in a technical role...

• 👉 A position that no longer offers challenges or satisfaction,
• 👉 That's become mundane,
• 👉 That leads to frustration, and
• 👉 That doesn't motivate them to give their best every day.

If this resonates with you, it might be time for a change. After all, life is too short to feel like every day is a repetitive loop. Considering the significant portion of our lives spent working, shouldn't it be something enjoyable and fulfilling?

There's a way out of this rut, and you hold the key to change.

1. Self-reflection and assessment: Understanding any problem begins with recognizing it. Self-assessment is crucial in pinpointing why you feel trapped. Key questions might include:

   • Why did I choose tech?
   • Do I genuinely enjoy what I do?
   • What tasks or projects excite me?
   • Where do I see myself in the future?

   These questions pave the way for significant change.

2. Setting goals and identifying passions: Next, set clear objectives that align with what excites you.

   For instance, my passion for teaching led me to leadership roles in tech. I felt an urge to share my knowledge, enjoyed mentoring, and was drawn to leading teams and multiplying the value of my contributions.

3. Emphasizing professional growth: Continuous development is key. Acquiring new skills is crucial for leadership roles.

4. Career planning: Establishing a clear roadmap helps tackle stagnation.

5. Networking and mentorship: Every leader benefits from others' guidance. Building a robust professional network and finding tech mentors is invaluable.

Feeling stagnant in a technical role is challenging. Recognizing this invites you to think differently and step outside your comfort zone.

I encourage you to take action. Embrace growth, shake off demotivation, and get ready for a future brimming with opportunities as a tech leader.

High performance is the state you achieve by optimizing your time, energy, and attention completely. This enables you to be at your peak physical, mental, and emotional levels. Consequently, your dedication will be stronger, and you will be deeply connected to your purpose, ensuring that you reach your goals and achieve exceptional results.

But how can you achieve this? What are the qualities you must develop to increase your performance as a developer or technology leader?

• ⚪ Clarity: It provides you with infinite intention and motivation. You understand who you are and why you do it, know what you desire, and have a clear plan on how to achieve it. This helps you maintain focus and serves as an intrinsic motivator to make it a reality.

• ⚡ Energy: Focus your efforts on one thing. Distractions drain your energy. Concentrate on the overarching goal. Optimize your time and be mindful of the four sources from which you obtain and recharge energy: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

• 💪 Courage: Allows you to dare to try new things and understand that failure is part of the journey and growth. Courage keeps you consistent and prevents you from giving up. It also empowers you to think creatively, challenge the status quo, and enhance your critical thinking.

• ⏱ Productivity: Prioritize effectively and manage your time correctly to accomplish more in less time.

• 🌀 Influence: Understand that you don't work alone! Be kind, generous, and aim to contribute fully to your team. Communicate effectively, attracting people to your side to achieve that overarching goal together.

So, how can you apply these principles in your work life?

The answer lies in your hands. Work on developing these qualities and help your team do the same.

The pressure to optimize resources, from infrastructure costs to personnel expenses, is pushing companies to their limits, to the point where concepts like efficiency, productivity, and performance become confused.

While...

👉 Efficiency focuses on optimizing processes to achieve outcomes, economizing on resources;
👉 Productivity aims to maximize production and outcomes with the available resources, assessing the relationship between the quantity and quality of production.
👉 And performance? It directly affects the performance of people, the effectiveness of teams or processes according to the criteria set by each company.

The key question is: Where and how can we save on engineering without compromising quality, innovation, and outcomes?

It's a complex question. And a difficult answer.

The issue is that companies opt for the "easy" route:

• Cuts in infrastructure and tools
• Staff reduction
• Freezing wages
• Savings on employee perks (like training)
• Reduction of team-building activities

Costs are reduced and sometimes even impacts the size of the teams, but the workload usually does not decrease proportionally.

And, it has fatal consequences.

• Increase distrust and lose visibility by reducing the time dedicated to personal relationships
• Reduce engagement and worsen collaboration
• Diminish the commitment each collaborator has with the company
• The opportunity cost of talent leakage, taking the organization's know-how with them. And often, this loss is greater than savings.

It's know that the business world is short-term, something that is accentuated in tech startups with investors behind them. And it's difficult for it to change; as an early-stage angel investor.

However, from the organization's side, in the long term, these measures are totally counterproductive. It's hard to measure the opportunity cost of someone leaving or (worse) staying demotivated or without training. But it's a VERY real cost!

So, what should be considered? thinking about questions like...

👉 How can new tools and innovations be used like AI to stay competitive?
👉 Where can smart adjustments be applied to gain more efficiency without sacrificing the quality of the final product?
👉 How can the technology teams act as catalysts for change to gain efficiency and automation in other departments?
👉 What impact do layoffs have on the people who remain in the company?
👉 If making cutting decisions now, what it's being sacrificed in the long term in terms of innovation, growth, and company reputation?
👉 Where's the line drawn between operational efficiency and talent retention?
👉 What are the critical areas where technology investment can generate greater long-term efficiency returns?
👉 How can we accurately measure and quantify the success of the efficiency initiatives we implement in the technology teams?

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into business operations is transforming how companies enhance efficiency and productivity. This transformation is driven by the imperative to optimize resources and maximize outcomes.

AI's arrival has significantly altered developers' approach to their daily tasks, integrating into development tools to offer intelligent assistance and boost the creativity and efficiency of technology teams.

The proliferation of AI-driven tools, such as GitHub Copilot and DeepCode, is reshaping work dynamics across enterprises of all sizes and sectors. These tools provide intelligent assistance that extends beyond simple automation, enhancing developer creativity and efficiency. For instance, GitHub Copilot employs advanced language models to suggest code in real time, significantly speeding up the development process and reducing team workload. Similarly, DeepCode uses machine learning techniques to analyze code for errors and vulnerabilities, improving the quality of the final software.

Moreover, AI's impact transcends operational efficiency by fundamentally transforming collaboration dynamics and knowledge sharing within development teams. Rather than merely automating repetitive tasks, AI tools are acting as facilitators of collaboration, fostering a more dynamic and creative work environment.

One way AI promotes collaboration is through generating instant suggestions and contextual solutions. By offering real-time recommendations as developers code, these tools not only expedite the development process but also encourage team interaction. Developers can collaboratively share ideas and review code, leveraging AI to continually optimize and enhance teamwork.

Furthermore, by providing instant access to resources and code libraries, these tools enable even the most junior developers to contribute significantly to software development, empowering them to learn and grow in a supportive collaborative environment.

Ultimately, organizations that adopt these tools not only boost their efficiency and productivity but also position themselves better to navigate the new landscape with confidence and success—a distinctive advantage in a competitive market increasingly shaped by AI expertise. The Four Knowledge Gaps Between AI and Developers

There is growing concern over a potential overreliance on AI, such as the increasing use of tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT, which might lead to an excessive dependence on automation, potentially eroding the fundamentals of software development. This could result in developers delegating basic tasks to these tools without fully understanding the work performed, thereby reducing their ability to investigate and solve problems.

As AI is increasingly employed for repetitive tasks, there is a higher demand for experienced engineers, potentially leaving junior profiles with less work. This lack of opportunities for junior developers to gain practical experience could contribute to a skills gap between junior and senior developers in the future.

The implementation of AI necessitates deeper knowledge and understanding of how these technologies are applied in real-world settings. However, training in this area may be lacking within companies, leading to a gap in understanding the proper use of AI tools and their integration into the development process.

There is uncertainty about whether AI tools will fundamentally change the way software is developed or merely provide temporary productivity boosts. This calls for a balanced approach that considers both the potential benefits and risks associated with the growing reliance on AI in software development.

In conclusion, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the evolving role of developers and the future of their profession, including the tools that will magnify the impact of their work. To achieve this, ongoing education and training are essential—to master the tools, discern what can be delegated to them, train necessary skills, understand risks, find agile solutions, and rapidly progress from junior to senior levels to stay ahead.

With the ongoing AI revolution and the vast amount of information circulating online, many developers might be questioning their career paths. There appear to be two divergent routes:

1. Continue working as a developer but aim to be in the top tier, becoming an AI-augmented developer.
2. Transition to a leadership role in technology.

There is a third path, which is to remain as is, but this option is not advisable as it lacks future prospects.

Firstly, becoming a top-tier developer enhanced by AI offers an even greater technical mastery. Leveraging advanced tools like Cursor or Copilot can optimize and accelerate the software development process.

Alternatively, moving up to a managerial role entails stepping away from direct coding to take on responsibilities in leadership, team management, and strategic decision-making.

This dilemma becomes more intense when considering the daily challenges. From dealing with tight deadlines and unrealistic expectations to the constant pressure of staying updated with the latest technologies and market trends, being a successful developer requires a delicate balance between productivity, quality, and mental well-being. Moreover, the significant integration of AI has added another layer of complexity to this issue.

While AI provides opportunities to enhance efficiency and accuracy in software development, it also raises questions about the future role of developers as we know it and how it will evolve with advancing technology.

To address this dilemma effectively:

• Self-Evaluation: Reflect on personal interests, strengths, and short-term and long-term career goals. Is there more motivation in honing technical skills or in assuming a leadership and team management role?
• Market Research: Investigate current labor market trends in the tech field. What are companies demanding? What growth opportunities exist for both developers and managers?
• Conversations with Colleagues: Engage with other developers and managers to gain diverse perspectives and experiences. What has worked for them in terms of career development? What advice can they offer?
• Skill Development: Consider ways to develop the necessary skills for both career paths. What training courses or certifications can enhance both technical and leadership competencies?
• Mentorship: Seek mentors in the field who can provide personalized guidance on tackling this dilemma. Do they have experience in both development and management? What advice do they have?

By addressing this dilemma from multiple angles and considering all available options, it becomes possible to make an informed decision that aligns with one's professional goals as a developer.

It is evident that many years of trial and error could have been avoided if someone had warned about the common rookie mistakes most professionals make when transitioning to a leadership role. Here are some of those mistakes (there are more):

• Lack of Clarity about the Role and Expectations: A common mistake is not having a clear understanding of what your role as a leader entails and failing to communicate your expectations to your team. It's crucial to establish clear expectations from the start to avoid misunderstandings and confusion.

• Doing Everything Yourself: Trying to do everything yourself can lead to an overwhelming workload and hinder the development of your team. It's essential to learn to trust your collaborators and delegate tasks effectively.

• Not Seeking Feedback: Failing to regularly seek feedback prevents you from identifying areas for improvement and limits your professional growth. Learn to accept constructive criticism and use that information to continuously improve.

• Resistance to Change: As a leader, it is important to be open to change and innovation. Resistance to change stifles growth. Therefore, it is vital to be flexible and willing to adapt to new ideas and approaches.

• Not Developing Your Skills: Never underestimate the importance of continuously developing your leadership skills. Participate in training programs, seek mentoring opportunities, and practice self-learning to strengthen and keep your skills updated.

We are facing a new reality: constant and rapid innovations in the sector, geographically dispersed teams that now work with artificial intelligence daily, and increasingly demanding organizations that expect more from us in less time. As technology leaders, there is only one thing to do: anticipate, adapt, and lead our teams effectively.

There are no secrets and no magic formulas—just three elements that, when perfectly combined, lead to effective leadership in the tech world. This is the golden triangle of the new manager of hybrid teams:

• Technical Vision: Imagine having a 360-degree panoramic view that encompasses all dimensions of a project: the people involved, the product in development, and the processes that make it possible. This is the power of technical vision. An effective tech leader not only understands each of these aspects but can also communicate them clearly and effectively, setting a clear direction for the team.

• Soft Skills: While technology is at the core of our work, They cannot underestimate the value of soft skills. Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management are just a few of the skills in this set. A leader who masters these skills not only inspires and motivates their team but also fosters a culture of collaboration and creativity, driving the project's success.

• AI Tools: In a world inevitably driven by artificial intelligence, highly productive tech leaders make the most of available AI tools. These tools help optimize processes and automate repetitive tasks, facilitate the analysis of large volumes of data, and enable more informed decision-making.

Consider two leaders facing a critical situation in their organization: a delayed project and a stressed team.

Leader 1:

• Focuses solely on technical solutions.
• Does not take the time to listen to the team or understand their concerns, creating a tense and demotivated work environment.
• Lacks strategic vision and business skills, leading to rushed decisions that do not align with the organization’s long-term goals.
• As a result, the team feels disconnected and the project quality suffers.

Leader 2:

• Communicates openly and effectively with the team, showing empathy and motivation.
• Involves the team in decision-making, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Uses strategic vision and business understanding to make informed decisions that benefit both immediate and long-term goals.
• Creates a positive work atmosphere, enhancing productivity and ensuring project success.

The difference between these two leaders lies in their skills. Acknowledging that as a leader, it is crucial to develop a set of skills to lead high-performance teams effectively, efficiently, and sustainably is essential. These skills are encapsulated in the Technology Leadership Skills Framework.

The Technology Leadership Skills Framework

The Technology Leadership Skills Framework is a structured guide that defines the essential competencies and skills technological leaders need to develop to lead their teams effectively. This framework not only helps leaders identify areas for improvement but also provides a clear roadmap for their professional and personal development.

The framework consists of three fundamental pillars:

🧔 People Skills

People skills are the foundation of effective leadership, including:

• Effective Communication: The ability to clearly convey ideas and expectations, actively listen to the team, and foster an open communication environment.
• Empathy and Motivation: Understanding the needs and motivations of team members and using that understanding to inspire and motivate.
• Conflict Resolution: The ability to mediate disputes and find solutions that benefit all stakeholders.
• Talent Development: Identifying the strengths and improvement areas of each team member and providing opportunities for professional development.

💼 Business Skills

Business skills are essential for aligning team goals with organizational objectives and ensuring long-term success, including:

• Strategic Vision: The ability to see the big picture and plan long-term, including understanding market trends, anticipating changes, and adapting the team’s strategy.
• Project Management: Planning, executing, and completing projects effectively, ensuring deadlines and budgets are met.
• Informed Decision-Making: Evaluating data and options to make decisions that benefit both the team and the organization.
• Innovation and Adaptability: Fostering an environment of experimentation and being willing to take calculated risks to drive progress.

💻 Technical Skills

While a leader does not need to be the best programmer on the team, they should have a solid understanding of the technologies and methodologies used, including:

• Essential Technical Knowledge: Understanding key technologies and development methodologies used by the team.
• Technical Problem-Solving: The ability to guide the team in resolving complex technical issues.
• Continuous Learning: Staying updated with the latest technological trends and advancements to guide the team effectively.
• Implementation of Best Practices: Ensuring the team follows best development practices and that the code is clean, efficient, and maintainable.

Developing these skills requires a proactive approach and continuous dedication to learning and self-improvement, including ongoing training, mentorship, seeking feedback, and reflecting on daily actions. Conclusion

The Technology Leadership Skills Framework is not just a theoretical guide but a practical tool for growth as a leader. By developing these skills, leaders can enhance their ability to lead their teams and contribute to the success and innovation of their organization 🚀

Leadership is a continuous journey. Stay open to learning and development, and witness how your team and you overcome significant challenges together.

The quality of the response is closely related to the quality of the input. The prompt is the way to communicate with the assistant, and effective communication will yield better results. Therefore, learning how to give quality instructions is crucial.

👨🏼‍💻 What is Prompt Engineering?

Prompt Engineering is the discipline focused on designing and formulating instructions (prompts) to interact effectively with LLMs. This technique involves not only formulating questions or commands clearly and precisely but also understanding how the structure and content of these prompts influence the quality of the AI-generated responses. Context enriches communication and is key to refining the accuracy and relevance of the responses generated by these assistants. Concrete examples improve precision by providing a specific frame of reference, minimizing ambiguity, and clarifying expectations.

👨🏼‍💻 Types of Prompts

There are notable differences in results when examples are introduced versus when they are not.

• Zero-shot prompting: The basic technique where the model responds to an instruction without having seen previous examples, relying on its general knowledge and understanding. This is typically used when dealing with unknown topics or when collecting specific examples is challenging.

• One-shot prompting: This strategy involves including a single example to the model just before making a request, aiming to guide its response towards a particular context or format.

• Few-shot prompting: In this case, multiple examples are provided to the model to refine its accuracy and effectiveness in responding to more detailed and specific tasks. Additional examples guide the model to adjust its response according to a pattern.

👨🏼‍💻 Characteristics of a Good Prompt

Instruction: The task the model needs to carry out.

Logical Structure: Prompts should follow a logical sequence that facilitates understanding and processing the request. An example sequence includes role, context, instruction, tone/style, and expected output.

Clarity and Precision: A good prompt should be clear and direct, avoiding ambiguities that could lead to incorrect or irrelevant responses.

Appropriate Context: When working with code assistants in IDEs, the open file is usually taken as context by default. Providing the entire codebase can improve the result and adaptation to programming style, architecture, naming conventions, or suggest the exact variable names according to the data model.

Output Format: Specify the format in which the response is desired, typically code in the appropriate language.

Tone, Style, and Length: For software development, it's important to determine the depth of the work required.

Role: Assigning an expert identity in a specific discipline or knowledge area adds authenticity and depth to the response, including details derived from specialized knowledge, such as applying clean code practices or design patterns to a backend programming task. However, the role is less relevant in code assistants since they are pre-trained as developers. Specifying backend, frontend, QA, DevOps, etc., doesn't make a significant difference. Providing the right context regarding used technologies or adding code snippets is more important.

Achieving a balance between performance and well-being is crucial yet challenging. However, it is essential to build high-performing teams and maintain a healthy, motivating work environment.

Here are some key metrics for measuring both the performance and well-being of development teams:

🎯 Team Performance

• Velocity: Velocity is a common metric in agile methodologies that indicates the amount of work completed in a sprint. It helps in understanding the team's capacity and in planning future sprints more accurately.

• On-time Delivery: This measures the number of projects or tasks delivered on time. A high on-time delivery rate suggests that the team is effectively managing deadlines and commitments.

• Code Quality: Utilize tools like SonarQube to measure code quality, considering indicators such as the number of bugs or vulnerabilities.

• Deployment Frequency: This measures how frequently the team releases new software versions. A high deployment frequency indicates a smooth workflow and continuous delivery capability.

• Bug Resolution Rate: How quickly does the team resolve reported bugs? This is an indicator of the team's ability to maintain software stability and respond promptly to issues.

😊 Team Well-being

• Team Satisfaction: Conduct periodic surveys to assess team satisfaction. Questions about work-life balance, workload, and work environment provide a clear view of the team's well-being.

• Staff Turnover: Measure the turnover rate of your team members. High turnover can indicate issues in the work environment or team management.

• Overtime Hours: Track the number of overtime hours worked by each member. A high volume of overtime points to work overload and a potential risk for burnout.

• Participation in Team Activities: Encourage team-building activities. Team cohesion and engagement are essential for a healthy work environment.

• 360° Feedback: Implement a 360° feedback system where team members can receive and provide feedback to colleagues. This system helps identify areas for improvement and fosters a culture of open communication.

Too many metrics? Perhaps. It's important to review and discuss which metrics are most relevant and how to measure them, exploring recent frameworks like DevEx, SPACE, and Dora, along with tools to automate the process.

These metrics will help justify the team's performance and are crucial for making informed decisions as leaders.

An AI Engineer/Manager goes beyond programming by maximizing productivity through delegating repetitive tasks to AI assistants that work quickly, accurately, and around the clock.

This allows a focus on high-value tasks, both technical and strategic:

• 👉 Lateral Integration: Skills in security, quality control, and deployment, where AI serves as an assistant in each area.
• 👉 Vertical Integration: Competencies in strategy, product management, and leading AI teams (yes, even AI teams require leadership).
• 👉 AI Engineers excel in prompt engineering, managing the communication and oversight of complex AI systems that assist with technical tasks — like generating quality code — and managerial ones — such as documenting processes and conducting comprehensive reviews.
• 👉 Collaboration with bots is a skill in itself: reviewing, adjusting, and optimizing AI output demands knowledge and technical agility.

• 👉 Leverages AI assistants for productivity and quality: They automate everything from code lines to documentation and testing, enhancing final work quality and making the process more efficient.
• 👉 Integrates AI into products: They work with language model APIs (LLMs) like OpenAI, create interactive interfaces (chat or voice), and develop multi-agent systems that improve product functionality and usability. These engineers don’t just integrate AI; they understand and tailor it to the specific needs of the product and organization.
• 👉 Full-stack Product Engineering: Responsible from start to finish, these professionals lead the development of complete features, ensuring security, quality, deployment, and the best experience for the end user. Their approach is holistic and proactive, accelerating delivery with autonomy.
• 👉 Bot Team Collaboration: In their team, humans are not alone; they collaborate with a "layer of bots" that makes work faster and more efficient. Through mastery of prompt engineering and critical review, they ensure that AI meets the project’s quality standards, ethics, and objectives.

Jeff Bezos popularized a concept in his 2015 shareholder letter, distinguishing between “one-way” and “two-way” decisions.

Bezos explained that one-way decisions are those that, once made, cannot be undone. These high-impact, irreversible choices must be approached carefully.

Conversely, two-way decisions allow for adjustments if things don’t go as planned. These are moments where quick action is encouraged, knowing there’s room to course-correct if necessary.

Here’s how to apply this concept in projects and distinguish between these decision types to make faster, more effective choices with less stress.

• Selecting a single provider for all company technology infrastructure. Changing providers after the system is in place can be costly and disruptive.
• Hiring a key team member. This person will shape the team's culture and strategy, and undoing the decision can be complex if it doesn’t work out.
• Choosing a primary programming language for a critical platform, like building an application in an unfamiliar language for the team. If it’s not suitable, switching may take months and severely impact the project.

• Testing a new internal communication tool. If it doesn’t fit, you can switch to another with minimal disruption.
• Adopting a new agile methodology, such as SCRUM. If it doesn’t suit the team, you can always adjust or change to another methodology without major issues.
• Launching a new feature in beta for a small user group. If the response isn’t as expected, you can modify or remove it without affecting the overall experience.

Now that you know the difference between one-way and two-way decisions, how can you quickly identify which is which in your daily work?

• 1️⃣ Assess risk and impact: Before deciding, identify whether it’s reversible and what the impact would be if you needed to revert it.
• 2️⃣ Consult your team: For one-way decisions, make sure you have team support since implementation will affect everyone.
• 3️⃣ Act quickly on reversible decisions: If it’s a two-way decision, take action quickly and experiment without fear of mistakes. Flexibility is your advantage here.

In reality, moving from a developer to a leader is a career change, not merely a promotion.

In fact, studies show that 60% of leaders report not receiving formal training before taking on their role.

Suddenly, you find yourself leading a team that relies on you, managing projects with multiple deadlines, meeting expectations, and reaching targets.

But here’s the problem: most people step into this role without knowing how to lead effectively.

Some of the most common challenges faced by "accidental managers" include:

• Lack of Role Clarity: Not knowing exactly what’s expected of you as a leader.
• Lack of Key Skills: Delegation, conflict management, team motivation... these are critical areas that they often don’t master right away.
• Imposter Syndrome: Feeling like you’re not up to the role and that someone might soon realize you’re unprepared.

First, acknowledge it. As technical leaders, they need more than technical skills to lead successfully. They need to develop competencies in communication, learn to give and receive feedback, and know how to inspire our team.

Here are some key points that would have been helpful to know when I first felt lost in this role:

• 1️⃣ Learn to Delegate: You can’t do it all. Trust your team and let them take on key responsibilities.
• 2️⃣ Set Clear Expectations: You and your team should share a common vision from the beginning to prevent long-term frustrations.
• 3️⃣ Provide Continuous Feedback: Don’t wait for annual reviews. Regular feedback helps the team improve in real-time.
• 4️⃣ Build Your Support Network: Leadership can be isolating, but surrounding yourself with mentors and other leaders will help you move forward with more confidence.
• 5️⃣ Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help: You don’t need to have all the answers. A good leader knows when to seek support and keep learning.

Falling into the role by accident is not an insurmountable obstacle, but it’s a sign that you need to strengthen your leadership skills. You’re already on the right path by wanting to improve, and that’s the first step toward success.