Engineering Leadership Development

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

For senior engineers growing to staff engineers, learn to let go of control. I've managed and mentored a number of engineers over the years, and I've noticed a common failure mode in strong senior engineers that holds them back from growing. They go from leading a team of ~5 to a team of ~12 and suddenly their old operating models aren't successful any more. One such engineer told me, "I don't have time to code any more. I don't even have time to review every change!" My immediate response was: "Why do you feel you need to review every change in a team of this size?" This engineer, and others like him, fell into one of the classic senior engineer traps. As the TL of a small team, you can become intimately familiar with your codebase, to the point that you've written or reviewed every single line within it. That familiarity is a strength, and makes you a good TL and senior engineer. But it does not scale to larger team sizes and bigger engineering roles. One of the things you must let go of in order to scale is the idea that you need to inspect and approve everything. Code can be high-quality without being written exactly the way you would write it. Instead of asking "how do I find time to review everything?" you have to start asking "how do I ensure quality without reviewing everything?" That's the question that leads you to operate like a staff engineer. There are many viable answers: delegate authority, mentor more junior folks, institute a culture of testing and observability, swap low-level code reviews for high-level design reviews. But the path to growth beyond being the TL of a single team or component always requires that you figure out a scalable way to be accountable for a larger domain of code than you can feasibly exercise complete control over. Relinquishing some control is the only path to a broader scope.

Your brilliant idea means nothing if no one listens. 5 years at McKinsey taught me one important truth: It's not the winning idea that wins. It's the winning idea COMPELLINGLY PRESENTED. Master these 4 frameworks to transform how your ideas land: 1️⃣ The Pyramid Principle (go-to storytelling technique at McKinsey #1) Communicate efficiently: → Lead with your main point first → Support with structured reasoning → Back it up with relevant data 2️⃣ SCR Framework (go-to storytelling technique at McKinsey #2) Craft a convincing storyline: → Situation: Establish clear context → Complication: Highlight why action is needed → Resolution: Recommend the solution 3️⃣ The Golden Circle (Simon Sinek) Inspire action with the WHY: → Start with purpose (why you exist) → Explain your approach (how you deliver) → End with what you actually do (what you do) 4️⃣ Story of Self/Us/Now (Marshall Ganz) Mobilize collective action: → Share your personal values journey (self) → Create unity around shared goals (us) → Drive urgency through compelling vision (now) How you FRAME your message is the difference between ignored and influential. What storytelling frameworks do you most often use in your own work? ♻️ Find this valuable? Repost to help others. Follow me for posts on leadership, learning, and excellence. 📌 Want free PDFs of this and my top cheat sheets? You can find them here: https://lnkd.in/g2t-cU8P Hi 👋 I'm Vince, CEO of Sparkwise. I help orgs scale excellence at a fraction of the cost by automating live group learning, practice, and application. Check out our topic library: https://lnkd.in/gKbXp_Av

Arguably, the most important job of a leader is to develop talent and build great teams, starting with their direct reports and their direct report team. Great leaders understand that investing in the individuals on their team, to help them grow and have greater impact, is their core job and not an overhead or a chore for them. They also know that great individuals don’t necessarily make a great team and that building high performing teams requires even additional investment. Finally, they recognise that these investments are key to transformative and sustained growth of the company. Here are some of my reflections and learnings in regard to developing talent. I will share some thoughts on building high performing teams in a separate post. 1. Enable your team member to soar with their strengths. Often leaders spend too much time agonising about the gaps or opportunities their team member may have. Amplifying what your colleague is really good at is good for the organisation and for the individual. This is about providing them with challenging opportunities where they can make a massive impact with their strengths, and celebrating their accomplishments. 2. Actively invest in helping your team member neutralise their major weakness(es), especially if the latter is preventing them from being effective or achieving their true potential. This is about building context with them as to why this weakness can slow them down and helping them internalise that working on this opportunity is good for them. Coaching in the moment or reflecting about situations which you were both part of and helping them recognise an action or behaviour that could have been different is often powerful. 3. Build an environment of transparency so that the individuals understand where they stand within the organisation. Being unclear with feedback or holding back on sharing how an individual is perceived within an organisation so as to avoid hurting them, is actually counter productive. Helping team members sharpen their antennas around how they come across to others goes a long way towards developing reflective, continually learning leaders. 4. Make development conversations an integral part of the work related discussions to the extent possible. Avoid making them awkward, one off events but rather an ongoing commitment to supporting your colleague in their development journey. 5. Most importantly, recognise that the responsibility you have is a privilege and not a license to preach. We could all be working for each other some day and just because one is leading someone within an organisational context doesn’t make one “superior” to their direct report. Helping develop leaders of the future is one of the most impactful and rewarding aspects of being a leader. What are some of your reflections on this topic? #leadership #development #talent #careergrowth

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

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?

In 2011, the Amazon Appstore failed on launch and Jeff Bezos was furious. It was my fault, and I handled one aspect of recovery so poorly that one of my engineers quit. I still regret it 14 years later. Please learn from my mistake. The main lesson is that when you are leading through a crisis, it can feel like it is all about you. It isn’t. It is about: 1) Solving the problem 2) Guiding your team through it The product issue was that there were some pretty simple bugs, and we solved those problem well enough that I was eventually promoted. Where I failed was in guiding my team through the crisis. My leadership miss was that I neglected to encourage and support the engineer who had written the bad code. He did a great job stepping up and supporting the effort to fix the problem, but shortly afterward, he resigned. During the crisis, I failed to make clear to him that we did not blame him for the launch failure despite the bugs. I imagine that left room for him to think we blamed him or that he didn’t belong. It is also possible that others did blame him directly and that I was too caught up in the crisis to realize it. Both instances were my responsibility as the leader of the team. His resignation taught me a valuable lesson about leading through a crisis: No matter how bad the situation is, your team must be your first priority. If you make them feel safe, they will move heaven and earth to fix the problem. If you don’t, they may still fix the problem, but the team itself will never be the same. As a leader, here is how you can give them what they need: 1) Take the blame and do not allow others to be blamed. In some bug cases after this we did not release the name of the engineer outside the team in order to protect them from judgment or blame. 2) Separate fixing the problem from figuring out why it happened. Once the problem is fixed, you can focus on root-causing. This lowers the risk of searching for answers getting confused with searching for someone to blame. 3) Realize that anyone involved in the problem already feels bad. High performers know when they have fallen short and let their team down. As a leader you have to show them the path to growth and success after the crisis. They do not need to be beaten up on- they have taken care of that themselves. 4) See crises and problems as growth opportunities, not personal flaws. Your team comes with you in a crisis whether you like it or not, so you might as well come out stronger on the other side. As a leader, the responsibility for a crisis is yours in two ways: The problem itself and the effect it has on the future of the team. Don’t get too caught up in the first to think about the second. Readers- Has your team survived a crisis? How did you handle it?

New episode with Wes Kao Become a better communicator: Specific frameworks to improve your clarity, influence, and impact Wes Kao is a coach, entrepreneur, and advisor. She co-founded Maven, co-created the altMBA with Seth Godin, and now teaches a popular course on executive communication and influence. Through her course and one-on-one coaching, she’s helped thousands of operators, founders, and product leaders master the art of influence through clear, compelling communication. Known for her surgical writing style and no-BS frameworks, Wes returns to the pod to deliver a tactical master class on becoming a sharper, more persuasive communicator—at work, in meetings, and across your career. Listen now 👇 • YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gEiCxPXQ • Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gmxU4dBW • Apple: https://lnkd.in/gxbFN54A Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting the podcast: 🏆 WorkOS — Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny 🏆 Vanta — Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny 🏆 Coda — The all-in-one collaborative workspace: https://coda.io/lenny What you’ll learn: 🔸 The #1 communication mistake leaders make—and Wes’s proven fix to instantly gain buy-in 🔸 Wes’s MOO (Most Obvious Objection) framework to consistently anticipate and overcome pushback in meetings 🔸 How to master concise communication—including Wes’s tactical approach for brevity without losing meaning 🔸 The art of executive presence: actionable strategies for conveying confidence and clarity, even under pressure 🔸 The “sales, then logistics” framework—and why your ideas keep getting ignored without it 🔸 The power of “signposting”—and why executives skim your docs without it 🔸 Exactly how to give feedback that works—Wes’s “strategy, not self-expression” principle to drive behavior change without friction 🔸 Practical ways to instantly improve your writing, emails, and Slack messages—simple techniques Wes teaches executives 🔸 Managing up like a pro: Wes’s clear, practical advice on earning trust, building credibility, and aligning with senior leaders 🔸 Career accelerators: specific habits and tactics from Wes for growing your influence, advancing your career, and standing out 🔸 Real-world communication examples—Wes breaks down real scenarios she’s solved, providing step-by-step solutions you can copy today

Most change initiatives don't fail because of the change that's happening, they fail because of how the change is communicated. I've watched brilliant restructurings collapse and transformative acquisitions unravel… Not because the plan was flawed, but because leaders were more focused on explaining the "what" and "why" than on how they were addressing the fears and concerns of the people on their team. People don't resist change because they don't understand it. They resist because they haven't been given a compelling story about their role in it. This is where the Venture Scape framework becomes invaluable. The framework maps your team's journey through five distinct stages of change: The Dream - When you envision something better and need to spark belief The Leap - When you commit to action and need to build confidence The Fight - When you face resistance and need to inspire bravery The Climb - When progress feels slow and you need to fuel endurance The Arrival - When you achieve success and need to honor the journey The key is knowing exactly where your team is in this journey and tailoring your communication accordingly. If you're announcing a merger during the Leap stage, don't deliver a message about endurance. Your team needs a moment of commitment–stories and symbols that anchor them in the decision and clarify the values that remain unchanged. You can’t know where your team is on this spectrum without talking to them. Don’t just guess. Have real conversations. Listen to their specific concerns. Then craft messages that speak directly to those fears while calling on their courage. Your job isn't just to announce change, but to walk beside your team and help your team understand what role they play in the story at each stage. #LeadershipCommunication #Illuminate

After joining three Town Halls this week, talking to the incredible teams of Gina Mastantuono, Russ Elmer, and Jon Sigler, I’m reminded that top tech talent has more options than ever. To compete, companies need to rethink retention - because a salary alone won’t cut it. The most compelling organizations understand that a few things are key: First, purpose drives performance. Engineers and developers don’t just want to write code - they want to solve meaningful problems in a culture that invites fresh thinking. Whether it’s streamlining emergency response systems or simplifying global HR operations, connecting their work to real-world impact is what keeps people engaged for the long haul. Second, continuous growth is non-negotiable. The best technologists are lifelong learners who crave new challenges (sound familiar?). Upskilling in AI, rotating into stretch roles, or leading cross-functional projects - these opportunities create momentum. Stagnation, on the other hand, is the fastest way to lose your brightest minds. But perhaps most critical? Fostering a culture where innovation thrives. Flexibility matters, but so does psychological safety. The most dynamic teams operate in environments where experimentation is encouraged, failing fast is treated as learning, and ownership is rewarded. When people feel trusted to push boundaries, they’re far more likely to invest their talent - and their future - in your organization. Here’s the truth: Retention isn’t about ping-pong tables or signing bonuses. It’s about building an ecosystem where top performers choose to stay - and grow. At ServiceNow, I’m proud to say we see this play out every day. What’s YOUR secret to keeping great talent? Share your thoughts below. #TechTalent #Leadership #EmployeeExperience