Developing engineering leadership styles: conviction, policy and consensus.

Summary

In this talk, Will Larson discusses the evolution of leadership styles for engineering leaders, emphasizing the importance of leading with conviction, consensus, and policy. He draws parallels with the culture shock curve, noting how some adapt to new leadership expectations while others struggle. Larson shares personal experiences and insights on developing these styles, suggesting they are learnable skills necessary for effective leadership in the current business climate.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Leadership styles evolve with changing circumstances, and effective engineering leaders need to adapt to these changes.
• 📈 The 'culture shock curve' can be applied to leadership, where some adapt and thrive while others struggle with new expectations.
• 🛠️ Three essential leadership styles for engineering leaders are leading with conviction, leading with consensus, and leading with policy.
• 🚀 Leading with conviction is crucial for making decisions in ambiguous situations where there is no clear consensus.
• 🔧 Leading with policy is necessary for maintaining consistency in decision-making as a company scales and requires standardized practices.
• 🤝 Leading with consensus is important when there is no clear leader or when a decision requires buy-in from multiple stakeholders.
• 🔄 The ability to switch between leadership styles is key to addressing different challenges and indicates a flexible and powerful leader.
• 📚 Leadership styles are learnable skills, not innate traits, and can be developed over time through experience and intentional practice.
• 📈 Examples of success and failure in leadership demonstrate the importance of adapting one's approach based on the situation rather than relying on a single style.
• 🔄 The speaker emphasizes the importance of being uncomfortable and stepping out of one's default leadership style to grow and improve as a leader.

Q & A

What are the three leadership styles discussed in the script?

The three leadership styles discussed are leading with conviction, leading with consensus, and leading with policy.

What is the significance of the 'culture shock curve' mentioned in the script?

The 'culture shock curve' is used as an analogy to describe how managers and leaders might experience a transition period when facing new or changing leadership styles and expectations, similar to how individuals adapt to new cultural environments.

How does the speaker describe the leadership style of the period between 2012 and 2020?

The speaker describes the leadership style of that period as one where managers were expected to support their teams and promote career development, acting as an 'umbrella' to protect the team from unnecessary distractions.

What changes in leadership expectations did the speaker observe after 2020?

After 2020, the speaker observed a shift in leadership expectations, with a move away from the supportive 'umbrella manager' style towards a need for leaders who can make tough decisions and navigate ambiguity.

What does 'leading with conviction' entail according to the script?

'Leading with conviction' refers to making decisions and managing execution on critical or ambiguous problems when there's no consensus among stakeholders or when quick decisions are necessary.

Can you provide an example from the script where leading with conviction was applied?

An example of leading with conviction is when the speaker had to address the perception of low engineering quality in a business unit at Carta. The speaker dug deep into the issue, tested hypotheses, and eventually concluded that the release philosophy needed to change to improve quality.

What is the role of 'leading with policy' in an organization?

'Leading with policy' is about creating and enforcing consistent decision-making frameworks across a growing organization to ensure uniformity and scalability in operations.

How does the speaker define 'leading with consensus'?

'Leading with consensus' is the process of building agreement among a group, especially when there is no clear executive direction or when decisions require broad agreement to be effective.

What is the speaker's view on the learnability of leadership styles?

The speaker believes that all three leadership styles are learnable and not innate, and that even individuals who initially lack these styles can develop them over time.

What advice does the speaker give for developing leadership styles?

The speaker advises reflecting on the leadership styles used in past problems, identifying the default style, and intentionally practicing other styles that are less comfortable but more appropriate for the situation at hand.