University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Foundation of Technical Leadership
Article

The Foundation of Technical Leadership

Brandon Gregory
A List Apart, 2016
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Editorial Rating

7

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Recommendation

Front-End architect, designer, and developer Brandon Gregory provides practical tips for kind and effective “technical leadership.” Gregory uses relatable examples, humble introspection and a dash of humor to describe the soft skills technical leaders need. While some of his advice would be useful for any leader, getAbstract recommends this short, hands-on article to tech geeks who need a leadership primer.

Summary

A “technical leader” isn’t the same as a “technical expert.” Technical know-how is essential, but technical leaders need people and communication skills and, above all, a desire to help others. Ensure that colleagues will come to you with their questions. Always be available for guidance. Whatever you do, ensure your team can learn from it. Don’t just fix other people’s problems. If you do all the work, you’re not doing your job as a technical leader.

Tossing a mattress into a pool is easy – but once it’s soaked with water, it’s a struggle to get it out. Similarly, developers can create ...

About the Author

Brandon Gregory is a designer, developer and front-end architect for a pharmaceutical marketing agency.

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