~/talk

All the things I misunderstood about being a leader

Talkat LeadDev New York 2025 · 2025-10-15..10-16· [engineering-leadership]
slides:none on file

A first-time exec recounts concrete reversals: don’t hand down solutions, define outcomes not features; use the magic question what do you want me to deprioritize to make room for this?; give teams uninterrupted blocks — aim for 90 days of stability, resist fiddling; set a firm deadline for feedback and ship early — be wrong quickly; allow safe failures, document performance issues early, and avoid wielding power that forces compliance.

AI-written summary · about

  1. 0:00Transitioning to leadership
  2. 1:33Rethinking leadership ideals
  3. 4:20Mistake 1: Defining the role
  4. 7:53Mistake 2: Resisting change
  5. 11:39Mistake 3: Decisions and speed
  6. 16:24Mistake 4: Empowering the team
  7. 20:53Mistake 5: Process vs. results
  8. 22:41Mistake 6: Power and partnership
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