Show Notes
In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast we discuss the essential elements of creating a thriving team. Leigh shares his extensive background in engineering, sales, and product development, emphasizing the importance of purpose, communication, and structured processes in fostering team success.
Leigh Smith is a former CTO and now founder of Vantage Effect. He has years of industry in a variety of varied tech companies.
Show Links
Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/
Tech World Human Skills Home - https://www.techworldhumanskills.com
Leigh Smith LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighivansmith/
Takeaways
Every team has the potential to thrive.
A thriving team is characterized by open communication and challenge.
Confidence within the team is crucial for success.
Purpose and vision guide team direction and decision-making.
Structured communication enhances focus and productivity.
Realistic expectations lead to accountability and pride in work.
Collaboration requires balancing individual productivity with team support.
Leaders must foster an environment of trust and openness.
Understanding the problem is key to effective solutions.
Regular reflection and improvement are essential for team growth. Communication impacts team dynamics significantly.
Intra-team communication is often more effective than inter-team communication.
Leaders must avoid dominating discussions to empower their teams.
Roles and responsibilities should include both individual and team accountabilities.
Respectful challenge fosters a culture of innovation and improvement.
Breaking down projects into smaller tasks enhances manageability.
Investing in personal development is crucial for team success.
Effective storytelling is a vital skill for all team members.
The collective knowledge of a team is greater than individual expertise.
Accountability leads to confidence and quality in team outputs.
Keywords
thriving teams, team dynamics, leadership, communication, team success, team collaboration, team purpose, agile methodology, team roles, accountability, team dynamics, communication, roles and responsibilities, respectful challenge, personal development, thriving teams, engineering teams, accountability, effective leadership, team success
More from Tech World Human Skills
This episode looks at how to get hired as a sales engineer while the hiring process itself is changing. David Ledger has run more than fifty interviews in his first three months at HiBob. He walks through the three questions that haven't changed in decades and still trip people up: why do you want to work here, why do you like being a sales engineer, and tell me about a deal you are proud of. The conversation gets specific about what a weak answer sounds like (a twenty-year life story, a complaint about a former manager, a timeline of events with no ownership) and what a strong one sounds like. That includes the test David applies to every deal story: if another SE had been there instead of you, would it still have closed?
Stoicism is not about feeling nothing. It is about deciding what deserves your energy and what does not.
The skills that make someone a strong technical expert are rarely the skills that make them a strong leader of the business around that expertise.
Fixing weaknesses feels productive, but doubling down on what you are already good at is usually what actually moves the needle.
Change management often fails for one simple reason: nobody diagnosed why people are actually resisting before throwing more training and communication at the problem.