How can you maintain leadership skills in Game Development?

The game development is the easiest part. Communication between different humans and superpowers is where the true challenge is. How to dispute respectfully, and how to encourage excitedly. Great Leaders, lead. They lead by example, and demonstrate leadership, rather than command or demand it. Great leadership is often supported by great ideas, substantiation, and a willingness to listen to the team. Remove all of the technology from the equation, and think about being in the wilderness with your team - Respect, Trust, Visibility, and Contribution will lead to success. Just be kind. Be respectful and kind.

Effective communication of this vision and goals to the team and stakeholders is crucial, as it is the trigger that inspires passion and commitment among all involved.

A clear vision is an absolute must to have on leaders mind. Not only WHAT you do, but WHY you do it. But creating a vision is not the hardest part, no. Communicating the vision clearly, especially the WHY part of it to others is where leaders are truly tested. Only then can there be a symbiosis of ideas enriching the vision even further. This will make or break a successful team.

As someone that was involved in building product pipelines for multiple companies, I have few points to add 1. You need to know the capabilities of your team. Don't hire peope unless you know what they can do. If you do hire them, Treat them like they know what they're doing. This is something that gets in the way of meaningful communication. 2. Just the right amount of feedback and evaluation is the key in large teams. This should be part of the process without being annoying. What sets good game development teams apart is their self evaluation process. 3. Half baked requirements makes half baked features. Be descriptive and thorough when writing requirements. Force your listener to imagine what the requirements are for.

There are a few key points that I believe are particularly valuable here. 1. If it's about keeping your management skills and knowledge relevant, current and on the increase, you need regular training and mentoring from a more senior leader. 2. When assessing team productivity, it is critical to work very closely with those tracking the project and submissions to ensure you're both in lock step and asking the right questions/taking the right actions to keep the team on track. 3. When setting goals, it's about helping your team develop by understanding what motivates them, what they want to do and how that lines up in terms of goals allocation to compliment the project. Agree SMART Goals. Follow up,assess them together, then move forwards.

In my experience, effective communication plays a huge role in building trust and earning respect. I've discovered that being truthful, authentic, and explaining what is needed, and focusing on the why are key factors. I truly believe that teams thrive when they have access to all the necessary details. Concealing information doesn't give one power; in fact, it has the opposite effect – it diminishes your team's potential. When you foster openness within your team and empower your team to excel in their roles, you'll witness a boost in respect and commitment. This shared goal will drive them to work harder, feel more confident in their positions, and encourage mutual accountability as you work together to realize your vision.

Trust is difficult to build and which takes a long time or even longer depending on the individual. Trust needs to there with colleagues and also with leadership.

The cornerstone of effective leadership is trust and respect. In the gaming industry, where creativity and innovation are paramount, leaders must establish a culture of openness and honesty. By demonstrating integrity and valuing each team member’s contribution, leaders foster an environment where trust thrives. This doesn’t happen overnight. It requires consistent effort and genuine engagement with the team, something I place great emphasis on during my training sessions. Also the Trust phase of leadership only comes when you have a mature, high-function team, somethings you need to start of with a more directive style, before adopting a more supporting and coaching-led one. Trust also involves a lot of feedback & learning.

Leading by example is a foundational aspect of maintaining leadership skills and building trust and respect. It involves demonstrating the qualities, work ethic, and behavior you expect from your team. By consistently setting high standards for yourself, you inspire and motivate others to follow suit. This approach fosters respect, trust, and a strong work ethic within your team. It also helps you stay grounded in your role as a leader, continuously honing your skills by actively participating in the processes you oversee. Leading by example is a powerful leadership tool that promotes personal and team growth while keeping your own skills finely tuned.

Be present, and keep yourself available. Being busy is sign of ineffective leadership; good leadership is defined by what happens when you’re not looking - so if you need to keep eyes on everything, you may be doing something wrong. Your door and calendar should always be open so that problems can be brought to you early - and when they are, focus on resolving them, not placing blame; as a leader the buck stops with you, and whatever happens is always ultimately your responsibility. Give good feedback, and keep in mind that problems are most often smaller than they appear, while achievements are usually larger than they seem.

Delegating is hugely important but also very hard to do. The trust should be earned first and this is a step many leaders fail to achieve. Which leads to micromanaging and frustration. To be able to delegate and empower you need to embrace the failure and sometimes it could be hard to do it. But if you don't let your team take the responsibility while feeling safe to fail they will never grow.

Whenever leading a team, I would ask myself "What do my teammates need to learn so they can eventually lead this team?". Leadership, to me, means helping teammates step up, gain courage, and achieve what they thought they couldn't. It's about creating an environment where they grow and find their inner strength.

Only give authority with responsibility, and never separate the two. If you feel like there’s too much you can’t delegate, then you should look into why that is. Always challenge people to bring their best effort but make sure you’re their safety net when they overreach.

I've witnessed in my experience within the game industry how empty delegation and empower is. There was a lot of favouritism and empty promises. This happens when managers are just appointed without any training nor experience.

Delegation is not just about assigning tasks; it's about empowerment. Leaders who excel in game development understand their team members’ strengths and give them the autonomy to solve problems creatively. This empowers individuals, enhancing their skills and confidence. I focus on the fine balance between giving direction and allowing freedom, ensuring that delegation leads to professional growth and project advancement when supporting new leaders in this field.

Learning = Knowledge + Experience A simple equation, and one that is underpinned by feedback, taking that applied knowledge and what you know now into the next situation. The best leaders are perpetual learners. The gaming industry is ever-evolving, and staying at the forefront means continuously updating your knowledge and skills. Embracing a learning mindset not only improves your expertise but also inspires your team to pursue their own growth. We underscore the value of learning from every situation in the training sessions – whether it’s a triumph or a setback. You can't change what's been and done, but you can learn from that in the now and decide what you want to have happen in the future.

From my experience at Riot Games and K2, I can confidently state that continuous learning is the cornerstone of leadership in game development. In this industry, staying relevant and effective means keeping up with emerging trends, technologies, and management strategies. By regularly seeking knowledge through conferences, workshops, reading, and networking, you remain at the forefront of the field. This commitment not only empowers you to make informed decisions but also inspires your team to embrace growth and innovation. Continuous learning enhances your problem-solving abilities and leadership acumen, making it an indispensable practice for those who aim to lead.

Be ok with being wrong, and open to learning from it. Separate managing and leading from execution: your team should be the experts on the ground in most cases - if you could do their job better, it’s likely that you’re in the wrong job and they’re in the wrong job.

"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience, of course, comes from bad judgment." - Mark Twain? Will Rogers? Fredrick P. Brooks? Read. And by read, I mean read or listen to audiobooks/podcasts. The research is clear: all lifelong learners are avid readers. Develop the habit.

We never know everything about the industry. Things evolve and grow just like we do. I think the biggest thing here is staying humble and being excited to learn from everyone around you. This also helps with team building as they see your passion and want to match it. Follow blogs that you like to help keep up on new trends, try specific games that you enjoy, watch others play games that you might not have the time to play, and talk with folks about new games or methods within the industry. Always be ready to listen when folks are talking and not just sitting and waiting for your turn to talk.

One thing I’ve kept hearing over the years is unwillingness to give any estimate - how long something could take to build, how many heads would something require, how many milliseconds will some part of a frame take. Start outrageously big, and chop down, to end up with a starting ballpark, then refine from there: Will this system take years to build? No? Months? Yes? 6? More like 4? Etc. Never bet the farm on estimates though. If people aren’t allowed to fail in their estimations, they will be unlikely to engage in estimating again.

Change is a constant in game development. Effective leaders anticipate, respond to, and embrace change. They have the agility to adjust strategies and processes when unexpected challenges arise. Adaptability is a leadership skill you can learn, nurturing an ability to pivot and innovate in the face of obstacles. This skill ensures that a project continues to move forward, even when the unexpected happens.

"Give me bad news fast." - R. Altman Lead from where you are and keep your manager aware of the situation at a high level. If things are in a place where you may not be able to adapt, your manager will have ideas or options you don't have or aren't aware of. I keep it simple - "The ABC dev pipeline has a couple of snags we're working through. Nothing you need to engage on currently, I just want you to be aware that we're working on a few things in case I need to call in air support, so to speak." That way my boss isn't blindsided if someone else mentions it to them, and they are ready to clear some time if I need them to sit in on a meeting or scrum. An additional benefit is that it builds trust with my manager.

The most crucial aspect of staying in an effective leadership stance long-term is being "outcome-oriented". We define leadership as "influencing others toward a goal". So, bluntly, if you're not able to achieve those goals with your teams you're failing. It's ok - it happens to the best of us, but when we're focused on other things (management) and we're not actively seeing our teams moving toward the objective, then we're not leading. Period. The leaders we respect and trust the most are the ones who take care of us and get us to the destination. If the team isn't moving in the right direction - make the hard decisions to get them moving. That's the role only you can fulfill.

Beyond these core areas, maintaining leadership skills in game development also means looking after your well-being, fostering diversity and inclusion, and staying connected with the wider industry community. Leaders should consider their role not just within their teams but also within the broader context of the industry. Continuous personal development, networking, and mentorship are also critical. These elements create a well-rounded leadership approach that ensures you and your team will not just survive but thrive in the dynamic world of game development.

Mentoring is a valuable tool for nurturing leadership skills. Whether you seek a mentor yourself or become a mentor to others, the guidance and advice shared can be instrumental in your professional development. Mentorship offers fresh perspectives and the opportunity to learn from others' experiences.

Stay updated on industry trends, communicate openly with your team, and empower them by delegating tasks. Adaptability, strong problem-solving skills, and fostering a feedback culture are crucial. Manage time effectively, continuously learn, build a cohesive team, and lead by example to create a positive work environment.