Technology Leadership

How I Mastered 4 Essential Requirements to Become a Better Leader and Served My Clients

Insights from a seasoned IT professional leading a global technology team

Introduction

Becoming an effective leader poses significant challenges, which I have experienced. While leadership was not a role I sought, life led me to this point.

As a computer programmer initially, I found satisfaction in completing tasks and earning well. I had not aspired to shoulder greater responsibilities. My contentment was derived from completing my daily 8-hour workload in 2 hours. However, after a while, this didn’t satisfy me. I was bored and dissatisfied with my life.

Then, I realized that leadership offered no room for boredom. I encountered challenges that demanded attention, patience, and a wealth of experience, which I lacked.

Over time, I developed the necessary skills to navigate leadership tasks, paving the way for more intricate positions. Continuous learning and training became indispensable elements of my professional journey.

The mastery of leadership skills extends beyond everyday experiences. It requires a dedicated commitment to ongoing development.

I found fulfillment in my leadership role, witnessing the realization of my ideas. I assumed managerial roles in two distinct business areas throughout my professional trajectory.

First engaged in the design and operation of central banking systems. I later transitioned into a project management role overseeing complex system implementations.

Following a change, I entered energy trading, introducing me to a completely different business landscape. Both chapters of my career presented many challenges and rewards. They offered valuable lessons from both successful and less successful projects.

Thus, this is not a theoretical piece but is based on more than 25 years of experience and observations in the IT industry as Senior Program Manager managing a global team of technology staff.

What do you think are the essential characteristics of a great leader? In this article, I will share the four key traits I believe are crucial. With these applied qualities, leaders can steer their team and the company in the right direction. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments related to these four vital characteristics.

1- Credibility

One of the most important key characteristics of a good leader is their credibility to execute reliability and trust. Leaders must be credible in everything they do and communicate with their stakeholders.

As James M. Kouzes informs, “Credibility is the foundation of leadership. You have to practice what you preach. Do what you say you will do.”

In my case, establishing credibility proved to be a comparatively straightforward endeavor. I am a computer scientist who later took on a management role. I had to guide and organize the work of fellow IT specialists.

My subordinates often couldn’t solve problems, resorting to IT terms and excuses. My task was easy because I understood what they were talking about. I could provide expert and credible answers and guidance that reassured and propelled us forward in solving the issue.

These situations strengthened my colleagues’ trust in me and my credibility. This was an example related to technical credibility.

There is also interpersonal credibility. It is the ability that enables the establishment and maintenance of positive relationships. This requires a high level of empathy, understanding of people, and self-awareness, which I will discuss later.

Throughout my professional career, I regularly meditated early in the morning, a practice I still follow today. This greatly facilitated the positivity of my relationships at work. I was calmer, more tolerant, and more understanding, even towards unpleasant colleagues and clients. Through persistent effort, which consumed a lot of energy, I was able to gradually steer these complex human relationships in the right direction.

Innovation is also related to credibility. As a leader, I had to creatively and innovatively solve complex problems within the organization on many occasions.

For example, I remember a situation well when I had to oversee a handover process for a foreign client at the end of a multi-year development project. The software was almost ready, as it had some known but fixable bugs.

But the deadline was approaching. Additionally, the colleague who could have presented the application to the foreign client at a native level did not have a proper understanding of the product. So, two significant problems had to be solved.

Ensure a smooth presentation and help the colleague execute the online demo. So, I suggested that they record the demo without narration, which the colleague could then voice-over during the online presentation. That’s exactly what happened. The demo went perfectly, and the handover was successful.

Finally, let’s not forget about communication credibility. A good leader must have clear and effective communication skills that foster trust and convey a persuasive vision.

As a Senior Program Manager, the roadmap of the product family I led was always clear and transparent. And not only for me but also for my colleagues and clients.

Of course, there was a high level of dependency on direct feedback from clients. Still, I was able to shape the product vision, ensuring continuous improvement and long-term market viability.

Takeaway Points Regarding Credibility

A good leader’s colleagues should trust and believe that things are going well under their leadership.

A good leader knows what they are doing and why, and they strive to prove this to their immediate environment transparently.

The leader’s vision and perspective for the future must be communicated credibly. This will inspire colleagues and subordinates in their daily work.

The leader has credible knowledge of what they are doing and adequate experience in the given field.

2 — Effective Talent Selection

A good leader must select the right people and surround themselves with them for tasks they can no longer handle. So the leader can focus on more important activities.

According to Jim Collins:

“The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it. They said, in essence, “Look, I don’t really know where we should take this bus. But I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.”

When I started my career in the IT industry, I began working in the lowest position as a graduated computer engineer. This was in the application support area, where I fixed bugs. These were later replaced by troubleshooting more complex issues.

In a short time, my abilities were noticed, and I moved on to the design team. After mastering system design tasks, I worked as a mid-level manager, overseeing smaller projects. This was followed by the management of larger IT projects. I mention these position changes because it was important to collaborate with the right professionals.

So, after a while, when someone has the appropriate experience and performs their job well, they usually need to take on higher positions. Of course, this requires receiving such appointments and accepting them.

Thus, over time, a leadership role involves more responsibility and handling more complex tasks. This includes, in fortunate cases, the selection of immediate colleagues and subordinates.

To achieve this, it is not enough to have only the appropriate professional knowledge in the given field. Understanding people and self-awareness are also indispensable.

As a leader, I needed to know who my colleagues were with whom I could collaborate and those with whom I could trust their work and experience. Often, compromises have to be made with certain colleagues.

Because it’s not guaranteed that working with the most experienced colleague is always the best.

For example, I managed to sell a product to a new client. The question arose during the implementation of who would provide business and technical support. The upper management was clear that the task should be delegated to the team with the most experience.

But, I went against this idea and assigned the task to a less experienced team. I saw that although the implementation would come with more challenges, it allowed the team to acquire the same skills that only the other team possessed until then.

Furthermore, it was fantastic to see how entrusting them with responsibility sparked strength and growth in the team members. I saw significant personal and professional development.

I tried to surround myself with suitable individuals to whom I could confidently delegate a significant part of the tasks. Tasks that no longer fit into my daily activities.

This is not always easy. Because by our nature, we can become captives of pride and arrogance, which is unacceptable for a company with growth potential. So, as mentioned earlier, proper self-awareness is essential.

Whenever possible, I tried to participate in the initial professional interviews so that a proper impression could be formed during the selection of the new colleague.

Unfortunately, this was not always possible. I had to make certain compromises when I could no longer exercise my decision-making authority. Perhaps my most important strength in this area was my observant nature.

Takeaway Points Regarding Talent Selection

Selected colleagues should be individuals who can solve a particular problem or handle a task just as well, if not better, than their supervisor.

A good leader strives to assemble their direct team from professionals whom they have come to know.

3- Decision-Making Power

One of the most challenging tasks for a leader is ensuring the appropriate delegation of decision-making authority to middle management.

Transferring control and decision-making, whether in part or full, is challenging. But without it, growth and development are not possible. It’s an inevitable step!

Brené Brown puts it this way:

“Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential.” —

This critical skill needs to be exercised only when the company where the leader works is developing and growing.

Delegating certain decision-making powers to my younger, appointed colleagues was challenging. But, the selection of suitable colleagues, as presented earlier, is related to the delegation issue.

When I could pick colleagues, I thought were the best fit, and it was easier to give up some decision-making authority.

For example, every year, I participated in week-long intensive meditation retreats three times. During these periods, mobile phones and the internet were restricted, and work was out of the question!

So, I always had to find suitable replacements for my daily tasks during these times. I never burdened the same colleague with this noble task. I tried to provide the opportunity for everyone.

Reading through the weekly correspondence after each meditation retreat was very instructive. I experienced more joy than frustration. I was glad that I could provide an opportunity for development to many colleagues in this way.

It brought me great joy and satisfaction when I saw positive feedback following the delegation of responsibility.

Each time, I felt relief knowing that I no longer had to deal with that task and could focus on higher-priority, more complex tasks. This did not mean that, after delegation, I completely let go of my colleague’s hand, as proper supervision is always necessary.

I found that the more challenging situations were when my colleagues made a decision or proposed a solution different from mine. In such cases, one must proceed with caution.

Criticizing too strongly would undermine the colleague’s decision. And I had no right since they enjoyed my trust during their appointment. So, I preferred to ask for the reason behind their decision and why they chose a particular course of action.

This way, I could better understand the background of these questionable events. And in most cases, I gained further useful and new experiences.

Takeaway Points Regarding Decision-Making Powers

Through self-awareness, leaders can identify their strengths and decide which tasks to keep and delegate. This helps them focus on what they excel in.

Selecting the right colleagues facilitates the delegation process as trust has already been established.

4 — Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation of everything in life. A good leader is no exception to this rule.

They must understand their abilities, both positive and negative traits. They need to be aware of their strongest abilities since there’s no need to delegate these — they excel in them!

So, within self-awareness, every leader must identify where they can be the best, like an athlete choosing a sport where their talents can shine to the fullest.

In his leadership book, Michael Bunting says:

“Great leaders and teams don’t know everything, and they don’t get it right every time. What sets them apart is their commitment to continual learning and vertical growth. Vertical growth is about cultivating the self-awareness to see our self-defeating thoughts, assumptions and behaviours, and then consciously creating new behaviours that are aligned with our best intentions and aspirations.” —

I never concealed my daily morning meditation routine and regular yoga practices from any of my colleagues. I tried to set an example for them, showing that a completely different lifestyle is achievable today. This includes abstaining from alcohol and tobacco and being a vegetarian.

While I faced some not-so-positive feedback in a few instances about these choices, time brought about positive changes. Eventually, as my colleagues saw my determination and dedication, their opinions shifted positively.

For example, I remember an enterprise architect colleague well. He was a great professional, but his communication style and bluntness were known. We ended up on the same team — I led the business part, he handled the technical side. For years, he looked at me with reluctance, making daily remarks and jokes about my vegetarian diet.

I found these discomforts challenging, but I looked deep within myself and had to make a decision. Either I set an intelligent example about my lifestyle, or I allow his behavior to undermine my credibility and respect in the eyes of others. I made the right choice when I demonstrated persistence, calm, and patience.

The colleague provoked for years, but in the end, he had to admit defeat. His behavior changed, and we became good friends. I never became the target of his sharp words again.

I may have invested more energy into my self-awareness work than my professional endeavors. As a result, I was surrounded by respect and even affection everywhere, which I do not consider solely my merit. Through self-awareness, I became a good leader who could steer the business unit and workgroups.

I made decisions with due consideration, considering the criteria I listed earlier in this article. I consider myself a successful and happy leader, and I hope my former colleagues remember me in the same light.

Takeaway Points Regarding Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation of everything. We need to recognize strengths and weaknesses.

Self-aware leaders can navigate challenges with a clear understanding of themselves.

Authenticity and empathy are vital for leaders. They allow creating a positive impact on organizational culture and performance.

Conclusions and Takeaways

In conclusion, the essence of effective leadership is a complex interplay of qualities. Based on 25+ years of IT industry experience, I emphasized four critical traits for successful leadership. I also validated this with my observations of successful leaders and the case studies in the field.

Credibility stands out as a cornerstone in leadership, encompassing technical, ethical, interpersonal, and communication dimensions.

Selecting the right team is paramount to a leader’s success. This involves not only recognizing professional competence but also understanding individuals’ personalities and their compatibility with the team.

Delegating decision-making authority is a crucial yet challenging step in a leader’s journey.

The foundation of effective leadership lies in self-awareness. Leaders must recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Understand their unique abilities, and lead authentically.

I hope this article provides a helpful and valuable perspective on important leadership qualities from what I have seen and experienced. I have written an article sharing the situations and decision points I have experienced as a technology leader over the past two decades. The article also highlights my mistakes that have turned into valuable lessons.

Your feedback is invaluable. I invite you to share your views and insights based on your observations and experience. If you enjoyed my story, you might also check out this research-based article depicting 26 characteristics of excellent technology leaders, which aligns with my experience.

Hello, I’m Jozsef. I’m writing about startups, entrepreneurship, and traveling. To see my stories pop up on your feed, I’d love for you to follow me. (Jozsef Kovacs) And, to have stories sent directly to you, subscribe to my newsletter.👇 Here’s some information about my background.