Leadership & Management

I started as an individual contributor working on various projects and companies. That is until I started full time at Microsoft where I worked on a close knit team. After a few years and different projects I took more of a technical lead role, but still didn't manage anyone.

Trying to remember exactly but when a few senior people left a team when I was still in the Windows Networking team an opportunity was presented to me an I became a Development Lead.

A few years went by and I worked on different projects still as a lead. I really enjoyed that but looking back I didn't have the right people management experienced where I could truly be a mentor to them even after a decade in the industry.

That finished my first chapter. I ended up leaving Microsoft and moved to Europe, for family reasons. I jumped into the unknown and co-founded, and co-funded, a small consulting company. I had plenty to technical experience and confidence to be relatively successful.

However, it was a different set of skills I quickly had to learn and use. There were taks that needed to be done, but I had to focus on some of the more important ones like presenting to potential clients and looking for projects. I had one significant projects that kept us going for some time. But it was my responsibility to find new projects and keep everyone delivering.

At that time it wasn't easy and I had to adapt. It became clear that I can't scale and must delegate. That meant hiring a team. In the end or at the peak of it all we had 3 full time sales people and 4 software programmers. It's very different when your own money is on the line. The techanical part was no problem. One big learning moment I had was that things can be much more flexible in a tiny company that even a small team at a Fortune 500.

I was too process oriented and rigorous and even shortly after I realized things could have been done without so much email and process. Eventually we weren't able to find enough large projects to have a fulltime team. There was huge amount of time on running a small business with employees.

It really kept me away from the techincal aspects that I truly enjoyed. Eventually I worked with just 2 programmers and found more long-term and on-site projects.

And for year and a half I was the Development Manager for a small start up and managed 14 people ranging from designers, testers and developers. Here is where I got into SCRUM and Agile Development. It was great learning and practical experience.

Eventually I moved to a new startup as a technical lead. I screened candidates and did all the technical hiring and technical strategy for another startup. I also worked on onboarding and technical customer presentations.

Then we decided to move back to the US. I landed as a Lead Software Engineering working on Lync for iOS again at Microsoft. New technology, new team and more Scrum. At that point is when Microsoft decided to eliminate all Test roles. I had to lead and support that transition and incorporate process changes, which weren't too popular at that time.

I stayed a manager for a number of years, but changing projects although kept some of my team and hired new ones. After re-starting with Microsoft I was in a lead/people manger role for six years. At that point Skype was in a bit of turmoils and most of my days were spent in meetings and sending emails.

That's when I decided to switch teams and even roles and became an individual contributer in an Architect role overseeing the standards and providing guideance.

Leading without direct reports requires a different approach, and effective communication is essential. It's about influencing others without relying on formal authority, and I've been constantly improving this skill. With my strong technical background, I have the ability to persuade and impact others through my ideas and expertise. Rather than relying on authority or rewards, I focus on interpersonal skills to lead and influence others.

I've had the opportunity to demonstrate these skills both before and during my time as a manager. However, I've noticed differences in the dynamics when dealing with direct reports compared to those who report to my peers. Regardless, my confidence and reliance on my technical experience remain key factors in my ability to lead and influence others. Ultimately, it's my technical knowledge and hands-on experience that form the foundation of my leadership approach.

I find that I thrive when working independently and can immerse myself in a task to ensure it's done correctly. However, to achieve more significant goals, collaboration with others is essential. When there is mutual trust and shared objectives, working together can result in even greater accomplishments. I particularly enjoy leading teams, and my motto has always been "All for one and one for all." I prioritize the needs of the team over individual goals. While many people claim to hold this value, I have seen many instances where it hasn't been put into practice. As a manager, I relish the opportunity to work on larger-scale projects and use my experience and expertise to guide the team towards success. Bringing together all the necessary pieces to deliver complex solutions is particularly satisfying to me.