Engineering Leadership Development

Continuous improvement (CI) in organizations is only possible through developing CI competencies in people and teams!! It's clear that every business wants competent, capable employees who have the ability to streamline processes and swiftly adapt to process changes... BUT... ...despite recognizing the importance of CI, many organizations find themselves with a workforce unskilled in the practical, agile application of continuous improvement. There's a real disconnect! Why is this? 🤔 A few reasons.... 👉 It could be an issue with training vs real-world application. Often, employee training programs are heavy on theory but light on practical, hands-on experience. Employees understand the 'what' but struggle with the 'how.' Including leaders! 👉 It could be cultural resistance. People may not embrace adaptability and learning. That problem could be also caused by ineffective leadership! 👉 It could be lack of tools, resources or autonomy. Knowing what needs improvement is one thing; having the tools and authority to make changes is another. That's also something leaders influence! 🚨 So what's the call to action here? Leaders need support to develop themselves and they also need to understand the important role they play in developing CI competencies in every person. This involves: ✅ Hands-on Coaching and Learning. Shift from traditional "telling" to coaching on the job. Provide real-world problem solving opportunities, ask great questions and involve people in process management to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in every person. ✅ Cultivating a Psychologically Safe CI Culture. Foster an environment where every employee feels empowered and motivated to seek out and try out improvements, without fear of failure. Transparent and regular communication is key. ✅ Empowering people. Equip teams, not just with tools but also the authority to lead and implement changes. People are much more innovative and creative when they feel they are in control of their own work. When employees see their ideas come to life, it reinforces their capability and drive for continuous improvement. What else works to bridge the gaps in continuous improvement skills? Leave your suggestions in the comments below 🙏 #continuousimprovement #lean #agile #employeedevelopment #learninganddevelopment #leadership #skilldevelopment

At Microsoft, I once joined a war room at 2 AM. The VP of Azure was sharing his Visual Studio screen. Debugging. Deep in the weeds. He managed 21,000 engineers and delivered $40B in revenue. But that night? He wasn’t a VP. He was an engineer. Here's what I learned: When things are on fire, great leaders don’t sit back. They lead from the front. They get their hands dirty. They push forward. They unblock. But when it’s time to develop products? They lead from the back. They empower teams. They clear blockers. They let experts be experts. Most people get this backward. They micromanage the creative process—then vanish when things break. But the best leaders are invisible when things go right, present when they go wrong. Next time your fingers itch to step in, ask yourself: Are you leading from the front or just getting in the way?

In conversations with engineering leaders, I'm noticing an emerging theme: smart, capable managers who "grew up" in the 2010s and early 2020s are struggling to adjust to a new reality in tech leadership. For over a decade, the rule of the game was simple: hire, grow, and retain. Leadership meetings were dominated by conversations about headcount, hiring progress, and ambitious growth targets. There was grilled venison tapas at lunch, and we talked a lot about psychological safety and inclusion. These were important topics (and tapas), but they existed in an environment of abundance. Sure, we wanted things to be more efficient — but the solution was often to spend more money to make it so. We had no choice — headcount was growing by the day, and the focus was on scaling rapidly to meet demand and capture market share. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. I spoke with a VP of Engineering recently: smart, capable, and struggling with how to report upwards effectively while still maintaining empathy for the realities of software engineering and the people in their organization. They were visibly relieved to hear me say that others are grappling with these same challenges. Engineering leaders at all levels are living in a new world of intense scrutiny and accountability. The instincts and strategies they honed over years of rapid growth aren't serving them well in this new environment. Under pressure, toxic approaches that would have been quickly dismissed in the past are now getting airtime they never would have deserved before. We're seeing a fundamental shift in what it means to be an effective engineering leader: 1. Financial Acumen: Leaders now need a deep understanding of financial metrics and how engineering decisions impact the bottom line. 2. Operational efficiency: There's a renewed focus on doing more with less, optimizing processes, and identifying areas of waste. 3. Strategic prioritization: With limited resources, the ability to ruthlessly prioritize and communicate trade-offs has become crucial. 4. Change Management: Leaders must guide their teams through organizational changes and shifts in company strategy with transparency and empathy. 5. Metrics-driven decision-making: There's increased pressure to justify decisions with data and demonstrate tangible value. 6. Stakeholder management: Navigating complex relationships across the organization and managing expectations has become more critical than ever. The challenge lies in balancing these new demands with the core principles of effective engineering leadership: fostering innovation, maintaining team morale, and delivering high-quality products. How has your role changed in the past 12-18 months?

As Chief Engineer of strategic ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky, I felt I had to have every answer. I was in every action, every system, every repair. The stakes were too high for anything less. But here’s the truth: that approach was untenable. No single person can shoulder that weight forever. What saved me—and what made our team world-class—wasn’t my control. It was: ✅ Delegation — trusting officers and sailors to own their watch. ✅ Intent-based leadership — giving clear direction, not micromanagement. ✅ Trust-based communication — speaking up early, listening deeply. ✅ Transparent expectations — clarity about what “good” looked like. ✅ Deep but meaningful checking — not hovering, but verifying. Scaling your business is no different. Early founders often try to be in every decision, every hire, every customer interaction. But just like on a submarine, that weight will break you—and stall your team. The transition from “I control everything” to “we achieve everything together” is what transforms brilliant engineers and scientists into enduring leaders. 💡 Where are you in that journey—holding every answer, or scaling through trust? #Leadership #ScalingUp #Delegation #ExecutiveCoaching #EngineeringLeadership #CoreX #Trust #IntentBasedLeadership #focalpountcoaching

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝘄. 𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 We’re at a turning point where technical literacy isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s becoming a leadership mandate. Leaders could once delegate most technical decisions. Technology lived with IT and engineering. That era is over. AI and automation now move at the speed of code. If leaders don’t understand the tech, they risk slowing everything down. Here’s how that plays out: 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 How your data is structured, how your AI agents run, and how quickly your teams test new tools aren’t implementation details; they’re core to your business advantage. If your C-suite doesn’t grasp why fine-tuning LLMs or moving to vector search matters, you’re missing growth levers. 𝟮. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 = 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 Fast-moving orgs can’t wait for translation between business and engineering. Leaders don’t need to code but they do need to know what’s possible, what’s hard, and the tradeoffs involved to make fast, informed calls. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝘁 Top builders want to work where leadership gets it. If execs misjudge timelines or can’t connect technical progress to business value, the best talent walks. Being technically conversant signals respect and alignment and helps you retain what matters most: your people. 𝟰. 𝗔𝗜 𝗜𝘀 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 GenAI makes every department partially technical. Marketing’s building prompt chains. HR’s testing LLMs. Legal is running doc-summarizing agents. “Non-technical” leadership isn’t just outdated; I think it’s a liability. You don’t need mastery, but you do need fluency. 𝟱. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Resilient orgs start with curious leaders. Ask how things work. Try tools firsthand. Embed learning deep in your team. You don’t need an interpreter to understand what’s next.

Lou Gerstner walked into IBM in 1993 expecting a strategy problem. What he found was worse. Here's what leaders need to learn: Every division had a strategy. Every executive had a vision. Every team was chasing a different goal. Engineering was building for one future. Sales was selling into another. Marketing had its own roadmap entirely. At his first exec meeting, each leader presented different success metrics: Revenue. Market share. Innovation. NPS. Same company, completely different definitions of winning. Gerstner didn’t write a new strategy. He did something more powerful: He mandated one framework for priorities. Same metrics. Same language. Same scorecard. Within 6 months, misalignment became visible. Within a year, IBM started moving as one. I saw the same pattern play out in a Fortune 500 basement. The quarterly review was nearly over when the Head of Ops paused: “I need to be honest. I don’t even know what our top 3 priorities are right now.” Silence. Then heads nodded. The CMO had been focused on brand. Sales thought revenue was the priority. The CTO was deep in infrastructure rebuild. The CFO was chasing cost control. 9 executives. 27 different priorities. 3 overlaps. That’s not a team. That’s a collection of soloists. Strategy isn’t the problem. Alignment is. Everyone knows the strategy. But what are they actually optimizing for this week? I’ve seen it again and again: • Monday: “Retention is everything” • Friday: Sales signs three bad-fit clients to hit quota • Product starts chasing new features • Success never gets the memo 5 days. Alignment gone. So how do you fix it? 1. Make priorities visible weekly Every Monday: top 3 org-wide priorities, posted publicly. No guessing. No side quests. 2. Create explicit handoffs Marketing, sales, product, and success - define the exact criteria for every handoff. Spotify did this. Discovered 40% of handoffs had misaligned expectations. 3. Run weekly alignment checks One question: What are you optimizing for this week? If it doesn’t match the org’s top 3, you catch drift instantly. 4. One source of truth No more 50 dashboards. Microsoft did this with their Customer Success Score. Every division had to contribute to the same North Star. Alignment doesn’t happen by accident. It deteriorates by default. Great companies don’t assume alignment. They build it systematically. That Fortune 500 team? 6 months later, they went from 27 priorities to 3. Revenue grew 18%. Engagement jumped 43% → 71%. All because they stopped guessing. Want more research-backed frameworks like this? Join 11,000+ execs who get our newsletter every week: 👉 https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

Feeling Stuck in Your Career? It Could Be a Competency Gap! 🚀 A few years ago, I worked with a team member, who was frustrated about being stuck in his role. He was technically skilled but couldn't figure out why promotions were passing him by. 💥That’s when we turned to competency mapping. 🔍 Together, we identified the key skills his position and future roles required—things like communication, leadership, and strategic thinking—which are critical competencies for growth. While he excelled in technical work, his communication skills needed refinement to step into leadership. By aligning his personal development with these competencies, we created a clear roadmap for his growth. Within a year, he sharpened his communication skills and was promoted to Team Lead. Competencies aren't just about what you’re good at now, but what you need to master for future success. Think of them as the blueprint for your career development. 💡 Key Competencies You Should Focus On: 💢Technical Expertise: Mastering the core skills required for your current role. 💢Communication: Expressing ideas clearly and collaborating with teams. 💢Leadership: Guiding teams and driving performance. 💢Strategic Thinking: Seeing the big picture and aligning with long-term goals. 💢Collaboration: Problem-solving and creating synergy within teams. 🔑 Key Action Points: 🖊️Identify the competencies needed for your next career step. 🖊️Compare your current skills with those required competencies. 🖊️Develop a plan to close any gaps through learning and experience. Feeling blocked in your career? It might be time to assess your competencies and create a growth plan. 📝 Start mapping your competencies today and take the first step toward unlocking your potential! #CareerGrowth #Leadership #CompetencyMapping #PersonalDevelopment #LifelongLearning #SkillDevelopment #LeadershipSkills #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalGrowth

Your Engineering Team is Failing – And It’s Your Fault. 🚨  When an engineering team struggles, leaders often blame hiring, tools, deadlines, or even the engineers themselves. But the harsh truth?  💡 A failing engineering team is a leadership failure first.  If your team is slow, disengaged, or constantly firefighting, ask yourself:  ❌ Do they lack a clear technical vision? (Because you haven’t set one.)   ❌ Are they constantly stuck in bottlenecks? (Because you haven’t removed them.)   ❌ Is there technical debt piling up? (Because you prioritized speed over sustainability.)   ❌ Are top engineers leaving? (Because the best talent won’t stick around for bad leadership.)  Great teams don’t happen by accident—they are built, mentored, and empowered. The best engineering leaders:  ✅ Set clear technical direction. (No more shifting priorities every week.)   ✅ Hire for long-term fit, not quick fixes. (One wrong hire can derail a team.)   ✅ Create a culture of ownership. (Engineers should feel they are solving problems, not just writing code.)   ✅ Balance innovation with stability. (Cutting-edge is great, but maintainability wins in the long run.)  If your engineering team is underperforming, don’t look at them first—look in the mirror.  What’s the biggest leadership mistake you’ve seen in engineering teams? Let’s discuss. 👇  #EngineeringLeadership #TechHiring #SoftwareDevelopment #Scalability #BuildTheRightTeam 🚀

In my early days at Rubrik, I made a mistake: I sought out leaders who mirrored my own strengths and weaknesses. It seemed logical at the time since I knew I could better relate to people with the same qualities as me, but I quickly learned that true leadership requires a diverse portfolio of skills. Just like in finance, where a diverse asset portfolio reduces risk, your leadership team needs a mix of perspectives and strengths. If everyone thinks and acts the same way, you’re setting yourself up for a major downfall. Think about it: When you're confronted with a problem you’re not sure how to tackle, it's a learning experience. But if no one on your team is equipped to handle that challenge, your entire organization can crash. Diversity of skills in leadership encourages innovation and resilience. It compensates for individual weaknesses and amplifies our collective strengths. When you embrace different viewpoints, you create a more adaptable and robust team capable of navigating challenges. The right mix of strengths will keep us grounded, even when the storms of uncertainty hit.

When we talk about AI in business, the focus is often on technology. Algorithms. Tools. Platforms. But here’s the truth: the real differentiator won’t be the tech. It will be leadership and culture. In the military, we lived by a simple mantra: adapt and overcome. No plan survives first contact. What matters is clarity of mission, resilience, and trust in your team. There’s a story every Naval Academy graduate knows: A Message to Garcia. During the Spanish-American War, President McKinley gave Lt. Rowan a letter to deliver to General García, hidden deep in the Cuban mountains. No instructions, no map—just the intent. Rowan found him and delivered it. That story captures what leadership in uncertainty requires: leaders define the why and the what, and trust their people to figure out the how. And that’s exactly what the AI era demands. AI is not just another channel shift like the move from traditional to digital. It’s a change in how organizations work. To thrive, leaders must set intent clearly and teams must build the right culture to execute. That means: ✅ Breaking silos early – AI doesn’t respect org charts; collaboration across brand, tech, media, and IT is non-negotiable. ✅ Committing to continuous learning – what works today may be obsolete in six months. Curiosity is a competitive advantage. ✅ Experimenting safely – best practices don’t exist yet; run safe-to-fail pilots and learn faster than competitors. ✅ Balancing speed with governance – one reckless move in AI can cost more in trust and reputation than any efficiency gain. ✅ Developing generalists – T-shaped professionals who understand not just their specialty, but how the pieces fit together. Boiled down: Leadership in the AI era means setting intent. Team culture means creating the conditions for that intent to succeed. Together, they are the true differentiator. AI isn’t just a technology wave. It’s a test of leadership and culture. Those who can adapt and overcome will define the future of business. 👉 I’d love to hear your perspective: What are you doing to prepare your teams—and your leadership—for the realities of AI?