The Coaching Leader & Architect
In this session, Roy looks at one of the biggest problems in technical work today: the lack of training for tech leads and architects in Leadership, people skills, and becoming change agents in organizations. Roy will also cover the ideas of Elastic Leadership and how they can be applied in many different software work situations.
Things covered will include, among others:
- How should you measure your success in your role?
- What to do in difficult situations, such as conflicts at work with peers
- How to grow the people on your team to gain more skills
- When to break the rules
- When to make the rules
- When to coach, and how
TIMECODES
00:00 Intro
03:00 Agenda
03:48 No difference?
04:40 Are you a leader?
07:25 Roles and goals of a leader
15:20 Growing a team
26:40 Learning Learning
35:22 Elastic Leadership
Elastic Leadership
Elastic Leadership is a concept introduced by Roy Osherove in his book “Elastic Leadership: Growing self-organizing teams.” The idea revolves around the premise that leadership styles must be adaptable and flexible based on the team’s current phase and challenges. Elastic Leadership emphasizes the need for leaders to switch between different leadership styles as the situation demands.
The three main leadership styles or phases in Elastic Leadership are:
| Survival Mode | In this phase, the team faces a crisis, such as a critical deadline or a major bug that needs immediate fixing. The leader takes a command-and-control approach, making decisions quickly and directing the team on what needs to be done. While this mode can be effective in short-term crises, it’s not sustainable in the long run as it can lead to burnout and doesn’t foster team growth. |
| Learning Mode | Once the immediate crisis is over, the leader transitions the team into a learning mode. The focus shifts from firefighting to identifying the root causes of problems, improving processes, and enhancing skills. The leader encourages team members to take on challenges, experiment, and learn from failures. This phase is about growth for individual team members and the team as a whole. |
| Self-Leading Mode | In this phase, the team becomes more autonomous and can handle challenges independently without much intervention from the leader. The leader’s role becomes more of a mentor or coach, guiding the team when needed but mainly letting them make decisions. The team takes ownership of its work, collaborates effectively, and can adapt to new challenges. |
Key Takeaways from Elastic Leadership:
| Adaptability | Leaders need to recognize which phase their team is in and adapt their leadership style accordingly. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. |
| Growth | The ultimate goal is to help the team grow and become self-sufficient. Leaders should work towards moving the team from survival mode to self-leading mode. |
| Continuous Improvement | Even in self-leading mode, there’s always room for improvement. Leaders should foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. |
| Awareness | Leaders should know the team’s dynamics, challenges, and needs. Regular retrospectives and feedback sessions can help gauge the team’s current state. |
Elastic Leadership provides a framework for leaders in software teams (and other domains) to navigate the complexities of team dynamics, ensuring that the team delivers results and grows and matures over time.