Making Techies Leaders

The Wall Street Journal had an insightful article on leadership in the context of engineering - - "Do Techies Make Good Leaders?" (My answer is absolutely Yes). The article pointed out several lessons and suggestions in the path from Techie to Leader - -

• Formalize the System - - Have a formal leadership program that starts at the correct time - - not too early and not too late (and it takes leadership to figure that out - - somewhat of a feedback looping process). It should be a formal "Leadership Development Program" and not a formal "Management Training Program" - - a really huge difference. You want to teach potential leaders to lead versus training managers to manage.
• Focus on Data - - Measure things. Making techies leaders is about metrics - - examples include the performance, responsibilities, and development of the people that you are tasked with actually leading. A critical component of talent management (ask any successful coach) is the performance of the individuals you are tasked with developing.
• Value Leadership - - The culture needs to embrace leadership development - - the complex and difficult task of leadership. Nothing is more messy and uncomfortable to technical professionals than leadership - - leaders who innovate, develop, inspire, take a long-view, ask what and why, originate, and challenge the status quo.
• Engage the Audience - - You cannot come to really bright and talented technical professionals with remedial leadership. Smart, practical, competitive, and action-oriented people want a program that is smart, specific, and fast-moving. They want teachers and facilitators - - not shallow talking heads. Remember - - experience, observation, and feedback - - these three words need to be in the foundation.
• Encouraging Coaching - - Do you reward people for technical skills or for leadership, mentoring, and coaching? If you value leadership and development - - your reward system will have to change. Think about "Peer Coaching" - - colleagues working together for a few days and providing feedback to each other on what they observed.