While
not always recognized for their outgoing personalities and easy to understand
conversational skills, most programmers “think” and “speak” in a multitude of
languages, despite their popularities, that few outside of the programming
world know as dynamic object-oriented and general-purposed programming
dialects. While incredibly important to this genius that inhabits this universe,
it allows me to ponder if programmers play well with others? And, if they want to
work well alongside other mortals or, at least, if they begrudgingly recognize
the need to do so? In my research leading up to this post, a single question
continued to surface when asking programmers about what bothers them most in
their universe: “how do I get people to leave me alone so I can just write my code?”
I have a great answer to this question: “you should not want to be left alone
and you should be excited to share your genius instead of keeping it a secret!”
While speaking with students on a university campus, they
acknowledged the most difficult part of programming was in fact, “working with
other humans.” This immediately made me think about a basic task that all
programmers need to realize; “what it takes to be an effective team leader.”
Understanding this monumental task and coming to grips with the skills that
make them an effective team leader – planning, organizing, communicating, and
executing, will help individuals rise to the call. You see, some team leaders
are born, while others a learned to rise. Or, does it take something else… something more?
A programmers'
language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a
computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the
behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely.
Programmers
understand how to manage process, but the language of teamwork is about
leadership behavior and this is not a design that can be communicated as an
instruction to a computer. Effective programming relies on intellectual,
analytical and technical capacities... and I would suggest the know-how of
teamwork.
Effective team
leadership and knowing how to “think” and “speak” the language of teamwork relies
on appropriate attitudes, behaviors and the ability to socially connect with
people on a human level.
Effective team
leaders recognize that they must support project initiatives through the
accomplishment of departmentalized team goals. They must channel the efforts of
others in the appropriate direction in order to accomplish those goals, and in
turn, be looked upon favorably by those chosen to work on the team to support the
successful outcomes of the project or organization. This leads to the notion
that the people on the team are all there to serve the objectives of the
project, organization and team leader.
Effective
team leaders who “think” and “speak” the language of teamwork, however, reverse
that notion. They recognize that leadership involves serving the people on the
team and NOT the other way around. They inspire, motivate and assist their team
members in the accomplishment of the project objectives and goals rather than
direct, demand or otherwise pressure them to take action. They inspire their
team members to show off their work, leaving the virtual cubicles to consider
the time as an opportunity for peer review.
Effective
team leaders who “think” and “speak” the language of teamwork acquire
specialized knowledge and skills relevant to managing teams and people, helping
them to accomplish desired results.
Effective
team leaders who “think” and “speak” the language of teamwork have an
instinctual understanding about human nature and why people act the way they
do. They are able to observe the social behaviors of others to suggest objective,
supportive and constructive feedback to help them rise... even when the
behavior fits a programmers' norm.
Leadership isn't
the result of any particular management process, but rather the manner by which
the process is implemented - the attitudinal qualities the manager brings to
everyday interactions. Qualities such as: honesty, integrity, positivity,
humility, passion, compassion, sincerity, commitment, confidence, and
sensitivity. Followers are drawn to people with these qualities.
Leadership
is not an extension of the team leader's formal authority defined by his/her
position on the project team or in the organizational hierarchy. Trying to lead
by authority does not encourage people's involvement in or ownership of project
objectives and goals. And, it diminishes their sense of control over their
work. It gives them a lot to resist...which can lead to reduced performance.
Leadership
is about encouraging, enabling, recognizing people for their performance and
helping others to rise out from the norm. It's about serving the other members
on the team, “thinking,” “speaking” and getting others to learn the language of
teamwork rather than being a single grain of sand isolated in a far away place.
It's about
supporting their efforts in the direction of project and team goals rather than
directing their efforts to remain as the status quo, always being recognized
for not having an outgoing personality or an easy to understand set of conversational
skills.
The
distinction between the two may be small, but it's that distinction that
defines leadership and those individuals who rise to become effective team
leaders.