Purple Unicorn Coaching

?? Building Tomorrow's Tech Leaders Today Understanding tech leadership means recognizing that traditional career paths aren't serving our teams. My latest blog explores how to create environments where both technical and leadership excellence can flourish. This article dives deep into: ? The leadership paradox in tech and the career advancement trap ? The essential roles of Natural Influencers and Formal Managers ? How emotional intelligence bridges technical and human excellence ? Creating psychological safety for innovation and growth ? Reimagining mentorship and measuring success beyond metrics The blog challenges us to think differently about leadership development in tech teams, exploring how both Natural Influencers and Formal Managers contribute to team success. It's part of Purple Unicorn Coaching's February theme on "Building High-Performing Tech Teams." ?? Ready to explore these concepts further? Join me for my end-of-month workshop where we'll dive deeper into practical strategies for developing strong tech leadership. Stay tuned for workshop details! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eW9g5Rpk #TechLeadership #TeamManagement #PurpleUnicornCoaching #TechCulture

Unlock Your Team's Full Potential: Building Psychological Safety in Tech When tech teams feel safe to innovate, experiment, and speak up, amazing things happen. Psychological safety transforms good teams into outstanding ones, turning quiet observers into active contributors and hesitant ideas into groundbreaking solutions. Building psychological safety means creating an environment where: ? Every team member feels empowered to contribute ideas ? Questions are welcomed as opportunities for collective learning ? Experimentation and calculated risks are encouraged ? Diverse perspectives drive better technical solutions Great tech leaders understand that psychological safety isn't just about feeling good - it's about delivering better results. Teams with strong psychological safety consistently show: ? Faster problem resolution ? More innovative solutions ? Stronger code quality ? Higher team retention This is part of Purple Unicorn Coaching's February focus on "Building High-Performing Tech Teams." Want to learn more about fostering psychological safety in your team? Join our upcoming workshop: "The Natural Leader's Journey" where we'll explore practical strategies for building trust and openness in tech teams. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ebNgVBhi #TechLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #TeamCulture #PurpleUnicorn

Are you a techie ready to step into leadership? After the fantastic response to this week's blog post about Natural Influencers and Formal Managers in tech, I'm excited to announce my upcoming free workshop: "The Natural Leader's Journey: Navigating the Path from Technical Expert to People Manager" Join us for 90 minutes of practical insights and hands-on exercises exploring the crucial transition between being a Natural Influencer and stepping into Formal Management roles. What you'll walk away with: ? Leadership Style Self-Assessment Tool ? Transition Readiness Checklist ? Annual Action Plan Template This workshop is perfect for: ? Technical leaders naturally guiding others ? Senior developers considering management ? Current managers supporting Natural Influencers ? Technical professionals exploring leadership paths ?? Date: Thursday, March 6th ? Time: 3-4:30 pm eastern ?? Virtual ?? Free Space is limited - reserve your spot now: https://lnkd.in/ebNgVBhi #TechLeadership #Workshop #PurpleUnicornCoaching #PersonalDevelopment

Last Chance: Free Tech Strategy Workshop This Wednesday! Transform your organization's tech strategy in just 90 minutes. What You'll Get: Tech Stack Audit Template Priority Matrix Worksheet 2025 Planning Timeline Tech-Business Alignment Checklist "2025 Tech Strategy Roadmap Workshop" ??? February 5th, 1pm eastern ? 90 minutes ?? Virtual ?? Free Limited seats available. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eDFWEZDy #TechStrategy?#PurpleUnicornCoaching #Workshop

??♀? New Year Reset: Creating Space for What Matters Ever notice how a cluttered mind can feel like having too many browser tabs open at once? As we settle into 2025, it's time for clearing the mental cache . Digital overwhelm is real. Between Slack notifications, endless emails, and that growing list of "must-read" articles, our minds rarely get a chance to truly focus. Try this mental decluttering approach: ? Close the mental tabs you've kept open "just in case" ? Unsubscribe from commitments that no longer serve you ? Set boundaries around your digital availability ? Create dedicated spaces for deep work ? Schedule regular mental reboots and maintenance time Pro tip: Start small. Pick one area of mental clutter to tackle this week. Need help resetting your personal or professional boundaries? Let's talk. https://lnkd.in/eQZkVghQ #MentalClarity #PersonalDevelopment #WorkLifeBalance #Mindfulness?

?? Building Your Tech Team's 2025 Roadmap: Start with Strategy As we approach 2025, successful tech teams need more than just technical skills—they need clear direction and sustainable planning. Key steps for effective team roadmapping: ? Review 2024 victories and challenges with your team ? Map technical debt against business impact ? Align team capacity with strategic initiatives ? Build skill development into project timelines ? Create realistic resource allocation plans ? Establish clear success metrics Pro tip: Build in buffer time for the unexpected - emergencies, project delays, and new opportunities. A fully allocated team is already overallocated. Aim for 70% planned capacity to maintain agility and prevent burnout. Want to dive deeper into tech team planning? Join my upcoming workshop: "2025 Tech Strategy Roadmap Workshop" ??? February 5th, 1pm eastern ? 90 minutes ?? Virtual ?? Free Register here: https://lnkd.in/eDFWEZDy #TechStrategy #TeamLeadership #2025Planning #TechTeams

?? Your career growth isn't just about climbing the ladder - it's about expanding your garden of skills. Every project you tackle, even the small ones, adds a new seed to your professional landscape. Some will bloom quickly, others might take time to root, but each one contributes to your unique expertise. This week, I challenge you to: ? Learn one small thing outside your usual responsibilities ? Share a skill you've mastered with a colleague ? Document a win, no matter how small ? Ask questions about something you've always wondered about Your career journey is yours to cultivate. Water it daily with curiosity, fertilize it with new experiences, and watch your professional garden grow. Ready to make your career garden flourish? Let's create your growth plan together: https://lnkd.in/eQZkVghQ #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #CareerAdvice

?? AI Integration in Coaching: Strategy First, Technology Second As coaching platforms evolve, AI isn't just a feature – it's becoming a strategic necessity. But how do you integrate it while maintaining the human essence of coaching? Remember: AI should be your coaching's silent assistant, enhancing the coach-client relationship rather than inserting itself between them. The most powerful AI implementations are often invisible to clients, working behind the scenes to make coaches more effective and efficient in their practice. Key considerations for 2025: ? Automated scheduling and admin tasks that free up coaches for meaningful client interaction ? AI-powered content recommendations that enhance personalized coaching experiences ? Progress tracking analytics that support coach insights, not replace them ? Natural language processing for session documentation that preserves coaching presence Want to explore this and other tech strategy topics for your coaching? Join my upcoming workshop: "2025 Tech Strategy Roadmap Workshop" ??? February 5th, 1pm eastern ? 90 minutes ?? Virtual ?? Free Register here: https://lnkd.in/eDFWEZDy #AIStrategy #CoachingPlatforms #TechStrategy #2025Planning

?? The One Question You Must Ask Before Accepting a Startup Job Offer ?? In working with coaching clients looking for jobs, I’ve increasingly had the same discussion: how do I determine the risks involved with an offer from a startup? Startups can be exciting, dynamic environments—but they can also be fraught with uncertainty. While there are many factors to weigh, there’s one critical question I advise my clients to ask before accepting an offer: "How many reductions in force (RIFs) have you performed in the past few years, and how many employees were affected?" Occasional RIFs happen, even in the healthiest and most well-managed companies. Priorities shift, markets evolve, and businesses must adapt. But when RIFs become a recurring pattern, it’s often a red flag that speaks volumes about the company’s leadership and decision-making processes. What frequent RIFs reveal about leadership: ??Reactive, short-term thinking: Leaders who repeatedly resort to layoffs as their go-to solution often lack the foresight and adaptability needed to steer a company through challenges. ??Failure to take accountability: Constant RIFs suggest a reluctance to critically examine business strategies or acknowledge missteps. Rather than evolving their approach, these leaders prioritize appeasing spreadsheets and stakeholders over sustainable, people-focused growth. ??A culture of disposability: When loyal employees are routinely cast aside, it signals a lack of empathy and respect for the team’s contributions. This can foster instability, mistrust, and a toxic work environment. In many cases, this behavior reflects a deeper issue: leadership that is disconnected from reality, overly focused on preserving its own image, and unwilling to admit when it’s time to pivot. Asking this question and understanding the company’s record can provide valuable insight into: ??The stability of the company: Are they building for the long term or constantly “correcting” to stay afloat? ??The strength of leadership: Is the team adaptable and growth-oriented or stuck in a pattern of blame-shifting? ??Your potential job security: Will you feel safe and supported in your role, or could you become collateral damage in the next round of cuts? Your career is too important to leave to chance. Startups can be incredible places to grow and make an impact, but it’s essential to assess whether the leadership has the vision, accountability, and humanity to support your journey. What’s your experience with startups, and what questions have you found most helpful in evaluating job opportunities? Let’s start a conversation in the comments! #CareerAdvice #StartupLife #Leadership #JobSearch #PurpleUnicornCoaching

?? Following the topic of this week's blog article, I'm excited to announce a complementary workshop! "2025 Tech Strategy Roadmap Workshop" ??? February 5th, 1pm eastern ? 90 minutes ?? Virtual ?? Free Join me for an interactive session where CEOs, founders, and tech leaders will learn practical frameworks for evaluating their technology landscape and planning for 2025. You'll walk away with: ? Tech Stack Audit Template ? Priority Matrix Worksheet ? 2025 Planning Timeline Template ? Tech-Business Alignment Checklist Perfect for leaders who want to ensure their technology investments drive real business growth. Space is limited to ensure interactive discussion. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eDFWEZDy #TechStrategy #2025Planning #WorkshopAnnouncement #CoachingTech