Many engineering leaders when they start out find themselves just wanting to please everyone around them. Figuring out how to “own” the role is quite difficult for many. Rob Ocel, Engineering Lead and Tracy Lee, CEO at This Dot explore this topic on this episode.
They discuss the idea of hiding behind the data. When decisions are made, it’s easy to ask for data, but then make decisions solely based on that data and not form or “own” an opinion around that decision so you can’t get blamed for an opinion you had. Rob encourages leaders to have opinions and be willing to fight for them.
Another topic covered was making people unhappy in a deliberate way. Are you able to succeed doing so, and do you have the ability to “own” that?
Rob also emphasizes the need for self-awareness and self-introspection, and to have mentors and accountability partners to help guide decision-making.
Listen to the full podcast here: https://engineeringleadership.podbean.com/e/are-engineering-leaders-hiding-behind-the-data-with-robocel-tracy-lee/