10 Leadership Challenges Technical Managers Face (Part 2)
David Spungin
Executive Coach to Founders, C-Suite/V-Level Leaders, and Their Teams | Gain the Clarity, Confidence, and Conviction to 10X Performance | Best-Selling Author | Veteran ????
In part 1 of this article, we discussed an ironic trend: despite the dynamic industries my clients work in—oil and gas, software development, construction, defense, and biotech—the leadership challenges for technical managers remain the same.
The first five challenges discussed were micromanaging, poor delegation, inflexibility/rigidity, tactic vs. strategic thinking, and the inability to coach.?
Let's delve into the next five, including the most significant and consistent one I encounter:
Task vs. Relationship Driven – Technical projects come with many tasks and tight deadlines. Under stress, technical managers often forget the importance of the people executing these tasks. Relationships matter.
Maintaining Morale – Creating a team with high engagement doesn’t require a leader to be an extroverted cheerleader. Yet, it does require them to maintain a positive, motivating, and inclusive culture. ??
Consensus Building – Gaining buy-in requires social awareness and influence skills often unpracticed by technical leaders. With more cross-functional work, this skill is increasingly important.
Giving Feedback – Delivering constructive feedback (well) is an art. Technical managers either avoid conflict or are overly direct. They also miss opportunities for positive feedback because they don’t see its value.
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Low Emotional Intelligence – The most prevalent challenge by far! Technical leaders spend most of their lives developing analytical skills. Their days are often occupied by math/science/code, lots of screen time, and limited human interaction (especially if working remotely). So, it’s unsurprising that self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management are lacking.
Those who have worked in a technology or engineering company…do you recognize these challenges? ??
Those who are currently technical managers…have you personally experienced these challenges?
Thanks for your comments, and please follow me to receive future posts!
David Spungin helps technical managers maximize productivity without burnout or talent loss, using his TechLead Transform? program to develop emotionally intelligent servant leaders. As Founder & Principal Consultant at The Leader Growth Group , he’s helped 5000+ leaders achieve their full potential.
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