DevOpsDays Austin 2014 - collaborative leadership lightning talk

Collaborative leadershipGrowing yourself and your organization

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So I read this book…

• It got me thinking..

It was written about me..

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What if Erik gave ME that advice?

• Have I heard it?

• Would I listen?

• Would I care?

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What defines Brent?

• Driven by thinking logically

• We do “Applied DevOps”

• Our Management manages expectations

• Management relies on me.

• Self made..

• Product of environment..

• …

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Leading like a Brent

• No one listens!

• I’m Overloaded

• I don’t want to burnout

• I’m sort of a BOFH

• Excuses.. Excuses.. Excuses..

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We’re here because we see improvement…

• Devops

• Agile

• Lean

• Philosophy

• Systems Thinking

…

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The hard way

• Logical

• Strongly Stated Position

• Assertive

• “Closing the deal”

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Strongly Stated Position

• Only speaking to “Facts”

• Mimicking success of others

• Strong / Defensive Views

• Applied Thinking – Applied Lean, Applied DevOps, Applied Agile

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Assertive Supporting Arguments

• My way or else..

• Logic makes us feel assertive

• We expect everyone to “obey” our logic

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Closing Deal

• Resist Compromise

• Using only logic / extreme passion to speak

• Assert as if everything is Objective

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Stop!

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A new way: The Collaborative Way!

• Work together

• Break down silos

• Build bridges

• Trust & be trusted

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Establish Credibility

• Don’t overestimate oneself!

• Experiment!

• Don’t jump to applying

• Recognize “small wins” as a catalyst

• Positive action

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Frame for common ground

• Lead to positive results

• Steer the story to align to your org

• Make it yours

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Connect Emotionally

• Work through gatekeepers

• Put on their shoes

• Strategize to reach broader audience

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Evidence

• Stories

• Examples

• Metaphors

• Experimentations

• Pilots

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Brent Transformation

• Don’t need to be “manager” to lead

• GROW into leadership

• GROW yourself!

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Patterns, not ideologies.

• Skills

• People

• Ideas

• Patterns

• Experiments

• Make it YOURS

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Empathy

• It’s not what you think!

• Logic != empathy

• Empathy != Agreeing

• Wikipedia: Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another sentient or fictional being.

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Thanks!

• The Phoenix Project

• Transformational Leadership – Teaching Corporation

• Winning ‘em over

• Essential DEMING

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