How has your early experience in software shaped the way you conduct business today as a leader?
Vincent M. Mendillo
Distinguished Business and Technology Executive | Advisor | Product Management | Software Engineering | Data Science | Cloud Computing | AI | App Development Platforms | Enterprise Software | Mobility | Investor |
Vince, speaking personally: How software shaped my leadership style.
How has your early experience in software shaped the way you conduct business today as a leader?
I’m curious to hear from other leaders in the industry who have gone through similar journeys as I have. I started my career as a software engineer and learned a lot from working on different projects and teams. Some of the skills and lessons I learned still influence how I approach business today.
I believe having domain competency is a necessary leadership quality. People want to follow someone who is knowledgeable and capable. This doesn’t mean a leader needs to be the authority or expert on everything. Some may assume your competence based on your position, but most will want to see it demonstrated. People must notice action and results.
I suggest that you should not draw too much attention to yourself, but rather draw attention to your team. Be a coach, not a boss. Empower your employees, not micromanage them. Let them shine, not overshadow them. Give them credit, not take it for yourself. Celebrate their accomplishments, not ignore them. This way, they will achieve their best. For instance, in my previous project, I delegated tasks to my team members according to their strengths and interests. For example, I assigned one of my junior developers the responsibility of designing the user interface because she had a passion for graphic design and user experience. I provided her with feedback and guidance along the way, but also gave her the autonomy and trust to make her own decisions. I recognized her contribution publicly by praising her work in front of the client and the rest of the team. As a result, she delivered a high-quality user interface that met the client’s expectations and enhanced the overall functionality of the software.
The Harvard Business Review article “Good Leaders Acknowledge Their Employees Often” by Magdalena Nowicka Mook, CEO of the International Coaching Federation, brings further context that the difficulty now is not making leaders aware of recognition’s value, but rather encouraging them to provide it more often.
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As the article suggest, although coaching may help leaders and managers find the best opportunities to inspire their teams with praise, acknowledging direct reports’ good work can in fact be easy:
Always make sure your leadership feedback is credible, significant, and timely to optimize the planned outcome and to not diminish the intended positive impact.
How often do you provide such feedback on a monthly basis?
I would sincerely value your feedback!
Electrical Engineer
1 年Great article Vince! I agree with the main points Vince has made throughout the article. As an early career engineer I am usually on the other side of management, and lots of these points really hit home for me. Some points I really resonate with are being technically competent as a leader. I subscribe to the philosophy that a manager should have technical expertise in their field, instead of just being a middle person between executives and employees. I also agree with the selfless philosophy a manager should embrace. In my leadership positions in the past, I have always emphasized giving credit and praise to people and making sure their efforts are noticed by others. Vince and I have a similar early career trajectory with both of us graduating UCLA with engineering degrees and getting our careers started in similar fields. Vince's mentorship has been invaluable and his insight on leadership standards really help me set expectations for working with future managers!