One of my talents is leading others. It’s also something I enjoy. I like getting a group of people together to do something amazing.
There are two specific contexts that immediately come to mind. I’ve led students in a classroom (mostly teaching physics), and I’ve directed actors in the process of making movies.
I LOVE teaching and directing!
Mentoring programmers is a bit like teaching. And leading software teams is a bit like directing. Both activities are close enough that I find moments of joy in my current role.
It seems to me that my desire to teach could help me create effective online courses; however, I haven’t found my tribe yet. And I would need to improve my marketing skills to make the impact I would want.
Given the number of books that have been written on the topic of leadership, it’s obvious that many skills come into play. Here are a few that I want to keep learning.
- Developing a clear vision
- Communicating that vision to others
- Recognizing and engaging the strengths of each team member
- Listening to the team members and to the winds of change
- Being flexible enough adapt to changes quickly
- Celebrating team wins
Employing a phrase I love, I see these skills as “necessary but not sufficient”.
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