12 Leadership Hacks For Building Great Teams

"People don't quit their job, they quit their boss"

Ever wondered if there is a way to systematically get better as a manager? What if you could apply concepts such as "code reviews" to your managerial decisions? What if you could learn how to help your teammates become more productive without micro-manage them?

Managing people is hard, I know because I’m a practitioner, not a theorist. Learn from detailed insights, based on building, growing and mentoring teams and managers over the last 6 years.

In this talk, you will learn 12 pragmatic and actionable ways to boost your management skills.

Transcript

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3. said:
   I am reminded every day that
   engineers leave managers not
   companies. Managers, this should
   keep you up at night. -- @eliast
   

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4. Mike Myatt
   said:
   Great leaders create culture by
   design, while average leaders
   allow culture to evolve by default
   

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6. • Full-stack Engineer @ Commerce Sciences
   • ex. Sears Israel Director of Engineering
   • Blog: lnbogen.com
   • I tweet @orenellenbogen
   You can call me bogen (pronounced: BOO-GEN)
   

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7. SoftwareLeadWeekly.com LeadingSnowflakes.com
   

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8. 1st
   

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13. Photo credit: ekampf
    

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14. Scaling humans is hard.
    

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16. Reminder
    No more “one man show”. Sorry.
    (subtle)
    

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17. Then Now
    The real question: How do you
    make your teammates X10 better?
    

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18. Measure your own journey as a leader (self-management)
    Little things you can do to inspire your team
    Avoid the local maxima trap
    

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19. Create a system where you can proactively learn from others
    tool #
    

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21. •
    •
    •
    

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22. Confidence  trust and openness
    tool #
    

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23. •
    •
    •
    

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24. Intentional peer pressure will create learning opportunities
    tool #
    

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25. Break feature into small pieces together
    Create interfaces & mocks
    Task A Task A
    Task B Task B
    Task C Task C
    Integration
    … …
    Peer pressure
    Code review
    Co-ownership
    Design +
    Estimation
    skills
    

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26. tool #
    Reduce philosophical debates and unicorn-style solutions
    

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28. said:
    Embrace simplicity in your product
    and in your code. The value is in what
    gets used, not what gets built. -- @kgale
    

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29. How would we know if it’s working or not?
    Will it be easy to…
    1. Add new features?
    2. Change existing feature?
    3. Get a new teammate to become productive?
    

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30. “Pull” < “Push” (particularly in a leading position)
    tool #
    

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31. Will save you from:
    1. Constant double-checking (your boss & peers)
    2. Wasting mental energy “cycles”
    Don’t underestimate the 2nd bullet.
    

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32. Measure your own journey as a leader (self-management)
     
    Little things you can do to inspire your team
    Avoid the local maxima trap
    

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33. HR shouldn’t be responsible for your team’s happiness
    vibe #
    

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34. • Welcoming new employee
    • Birthdays and holidays
    • Life changing events
    • Fun days for the team
    Don’t be a technical robot
    

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35. Show that you care about their success
    vibe #
    

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36. We are all great at something.
    

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38. vibe #
    What makes you different?
    

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39. http://blog.flickr.net/en/2013/04/19/dad-illustrates-kids-sandwich-bags-with-imaginative-drawings/
    

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40. One little poster…
    Cost: $20 + 15 minutes
    Value: 
    

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41. The last person to join the
    company is responsible to
    create a “starter kit” for
    the next one to join
    Hires
    How To Use Your Unfair Advantage To Create an Unforgettable First Day For New
    Read more:
    

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42. Leading by example means to put yourself in their shoes too
    vibe #
    

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43. To a level where you can:
    1. Conduct an intelligent conversation.
    2. Provide feedback.
    3. Help with prioritization.
    Can they own it?
    Can they educate the team?
    

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44. It’s a 2-side commitment
    vibe #
    

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45. “He’s young and bit arrogant, but so incredibly
    talented! No one seems to enjoy working with
    him, but I know I can fix it!”
    My painful lesson learned:
    Do not invest yourself and your team in people
    who don’t want to learn and improve.
    

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46. Fact: work produces more work
    vibe #
    

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47. 1. Celebrate milestones
    2. Show gratitude for effort
    3. Create a tradition for small wins
    
    

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48. Measure your own journey as a leader (self-management)
    Little things you can do to inspire your team
    Avoid the local maxima trap
    

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49. • There is no way to get radically better other
    than pushing yourself out of your comfort
    zone.
    • Read and follow companies and individuals
    who drive you crazy with passion and
    admiration.
    

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53. photo credit JD Hancock
    

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