Books:

1. Title: Becoming a Technical Leader

Author: Gerald Weinberg

Becoming a Leader
The VIP Rule Visibility, Image, Performance.
No feature is ever that important that you need to put all your resources (e.g., >50%) on it.
Leadership is the process of creating an environment in which people become empowered. Instead of
leading people, Leadership leads the process.
Innovation is concerned with re-defining a task or the way a task is done.
Traits of a Leader
1. Is self-confident.
2. In control of his/her attitude, instead of leaving things to chance.
3. Doesnt give up, keeps going at it. However, stops if wrong doesnt let pride get in the way.
4. Keeps on improving.
5. Keeps on learning. Learns from his/her mistakes. Learns from others experience.
6. Is honest.
7. Thinks before talking.
8. Is modest and humble.
9. Tries to think of better ways to accomplish tasks.
10. Is aware of other peoples styles.
a. Knows whether an individual wants specific directions, or whether he/she wants to
figure things out him/her-self after getting the general idea.
11. Is detailed oriented.
12. Has a sense of humor is not dead serious all the time.
13. Makes people feel at ease.
14. Fights for his/her people.
15. Is willing to admit his/her mistakes.
16. When is complimented, responds with Thanks, instead of It was nothing.
17. Is straightforward doesnt beat around the bush.
18. Is respectful.
19. Is inquisitive and asks questions (but not in a condescending tone).

MOI Leadership Model:
M Motivation
O Organization
I Innovation
Problem Solving Style:
Understanding the problem
Flow of ideas
Maintaining quality
Understanding the Problem:
Read specifications carefully
Encourage teammates to do so
Resolve arguments by referring back to the problem statement
Seek clarification and additional information
Refer back to the specifications after work has proceeded for a while
Managing the flow of Ideas:
Contribute a clever idea
Encourage copying of useful ideas
Elaborate on an idea contributed by someone else
Refuse to let an idea drop until it is understood
Take the time to listen when others present their ideas
Test ideas contributed by others
Withhold quick criticism of others ideas
When criticizing, make it clear that you are criticizing the idea, not the person
Test your own ideas before offering them
Revive a dropped idea, if it has value for another part of the problem
Controlling the Quality:
Measure quality as the project proceeds
Design tools and processes to measure quality as you build a solution
Measure speed of implementation, compare against the project schedule, and be prepared to
change the solution procedure
Step back and refresh your perspective
Check ideas with the customer before implementing
Restore morale when an idea collapses
Obstacles to innovation:
The inability to see ourselves as others see us
Coming up with solutions before understanding the problem (convincing yourself that you
already know the answer)
Belief that there is only one solution, blinding yourself to alternative solutions
Developing Ideas:
Corrupting an existing idea
Combining two ideas to a form a new one
A vision is required in order to really people
Need for clear communication:
Devote attention to peoples problems
Explain why you are behaving a certain way what are your problems
Helping others:
When offering help, first check if they want it.
Dont offer help which you would consider insulting if offered to you
Even when people agree to taking help from you, it is not a lifetime contract
Attempts to help can be interpreted as attempts to interfere
A list of behaviors which help a person deal in a relatively competent and precise way with the world:
Be clear when they deal with others
Be aware of their own thoughts and feelings
Be able to see and hear what is outside themselves
Behave toward other people as separate from themselves and unique
Treat differentness as an opportunity to learn and explore rather than as a threat or a signal for
conflict
Deal with persons and situations in their context, in terms of how it is rather than how they wish
it were or expect it to be
Accept responsibility for what they feel, think, hear, and see, rather than denying it or
attributing it to others
Have open techniques for giving, receiving and checking meaning with others
Solutions can be decided upon by:
Individual everyone works individually
Voting
Strong leader A leader listens to everyones opinions, privately, and then makes the final
decision
Consensus Everyone on the team must agree with the decision
Voting is advantageous in situations where:
Politically, it wouldnt be appropriate to appoint one member over another
It is not known in advance who is the best informed member to make the decision
It is not known who would make the most effective leader
There is a fear that coalitions might form that could sway an open discussion
Nobody is willing to take individual responsibility
It is important to make everyone feel a part of the decision
When using Consensus to make decisions, the following needs to be kept in mind:
Every argument must be backed up with logic and facts
Avoid changing your mind only to avoid conflict
Encourage others to give facts and logic based on which others can be convinced
Dont withhold information just to be nice
When required, and using intuition, make it clear that youre doing it
A problem solving leaders entire orientation is toward creating an environment in which everyone can
be solving problems, making decisions, and implementing those decisions, rather than personally solving
problems, making decisions, and implementing those decisions.
Escaping time traps:
Dont redo work which youve assigned to others
Avoid trivial technical arguments to prove your technical superiority
Choose your own priorities, and dont wait for a crisis to organize your activities (pay attention
to what you do when theres nothing to do)
Get two for the price of one
Act as tutor / editor / review leader
Share the load
Listen to what other people have already learned
Let other people show you how smart they are
Minimum Direction
As a leader, anything you sayno matter how slightwill be taken as direction. The most minor opinion
becomes gospel. Its like a macro version of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principleyou cant observe a
discussion without impacting its dynamic.
Unintended influence becomes a bigger problem as your influence grows. An executives casual
comment often results in person-months of effort. You must be very careful about what you say, when
you say it, and to whom you say it. Ideally, you should say the minimum needed in order to guide those
around you in the right direction.
Delegating Work
Giving good work to people who cannot handle it, or not giving those people good work both
spoil the relationship.
You need to groom people before giving them good work.