!
Power, Influence and Authority
in Engineering Leadership
@buritica
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"Juan, I think I want to go
into Engineering
Management"
— an engineer
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Why?
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"I would like to help my
team move forward"
— same engineer
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Why would management allow
you to make change?
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"Because I would have
authority"
— same engineer
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!
Not so fast
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What kinds of change are you
looking for?
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Authority
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Authority
the power or right to give orders,
make decisions, and enforce
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!
Authority
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Authority
the power to influence others,
especially because of one's
commanding manner or one's
recognized knowledge about
something.
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!
Authority
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What authority does
an engineer have?*
* in a "healthy" org
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Authority
Conventionally, authority is
legitimate
⚡
power
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By hiring
you confer legitimate power over
a technical domain
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Authority of an IC
function individualContributor () {
let authority = ['technical-domain']
}
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Authority
is not static
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Experience
can modify authority
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Autonomy of an IC
function individualContributor () {
let authority = ['technical-domain']
if (experienced) {
authority.push('own-time')
}
}
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Experience as a modifier
• JR IC: little authority over their time
• Sr Eng: some authority over their time and other's time
• Staff Eng: full authority over their time and some over
other's
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Modifiers vary depending on
company, org, team, and even
manager
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So I can change all the softwares?
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Maybe...
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How much does your team trust
you ...
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... and what is your scope of
influence?
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Everytime you make decisions
you trade on trust
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Architectural decisions
require higher trust than
implementation ones
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What authority does a
manager have?
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Authority of a manager
function manager () {
let authority = ['people, processes']
if (experienced) {
authority.push('strategy')
}
}
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Autonomy of a manager
function manager () {
// ...
let autonomy = authority.indexOf('own-time')
authority.pop(autonomy)
}
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So I can change all the peoples
and processes?
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Maybe...
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How much does your team trust
you ...
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What is your scope of influence?
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or might I say, closure?
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Management has authority over
software through people &
process
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Authority Closures
function vp() {
function director() {
function manager() {
function individualContributor(){
// software
}
}
}
}
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Management authority isn't
enough all the time ...
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... also, authority closures don't
tend to work the other way
around
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Authority Closures
function individualContributor() {
function manager() {
function director() {
function vp(){
const compensation = '$$$'
const process = 'waterfall'
}
}
}
}
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But sometimes, there is hope!
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We all have the opportunity to
step up as leaders
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* Disclaimer leadership takes
time, effort and patience.
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But most importantly
trust
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Authority Closures
function individualContributor() {
function manager() {
function director() {
function vp(){
const onCall = 'rotation'
}
}
}
}
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Building trust can
help you pierce your
closure
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Authority Closures
function vp() {
let oncall = 'rotation'
function director() {
function manager() {
function individualContributor(){
onCall = 'team owned'
}
}
}
}
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"Juan, I think I want to go
into Engineering
Management"
— an engineer
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"So you're saying I don't
need to be a manager"
— an engineer
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Not entirely ...
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I want to encourage you to be a
leader
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The intent of leadership is to
deliver outcomes for the greater
good
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We're part of an industry that has
an abnormal amount of power to
cause change in the world
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Working in
technology gives you
authority over the
future of people at a
never before scale
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Knowing about your "authority
closures" may give you the ability
to focus change
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Stepping into management is a
career change
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But stepping up as an IC leader is
a lower risk way of getting
experience
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.. and building trust
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... so that you can eventually
make the change you want
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We need more and better
engineering managers
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No matter how hard you try
you will be someone's worst boss
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But it will all be worth it
when you become someone's
best boss