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INSPIRING LEADERS |
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2023-02-03 |
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Despite my best efforts, I periodically find myself running teams: usually |
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only when anybody who could conceivably be better at it is unavailable. I'm |
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not... terrible at it, but I'm not great either, and I get frustrated if I |
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spend more of my time in meetings than writing code (which seems to often be |
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the case when I take any kind of managerial position). |
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A conversation with my excellent coach this morning (My coach also inspired my |
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blog post about doing what you're bad at and the accompanying vlog version. I |
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always come out of sessions with her with so many ideas for blog posts, but - |
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as always - I have less spare time for blogging than I'd like!) got me |
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thinking about leaders I've worked alongside or under that I particularly |
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admire. Especially those who've demonstrated skills that I don't have, or that |
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I'm weaker at, but that I could learn to improve. Those that came to mind |
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include: |
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* Formerly at the Bodleian, my colleague Liz, who seemed to make project |
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management look effortless: keeping track of dozens of moving parts while |
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promoting a relaxed, creative atmosphere. I competed with her for a management |
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role once; I'm so glad she got it, she did a much better job than I would have. |
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* Three Rings' head of development (who took over from me last year, allowing |
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me to focus more on the technical aspects of my work) Beverley, who brings |
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emotional honesty in professional environments. I admire the fact that they've |
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got the courage to start a meeting by asking everybody present, for example, |
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"what kind of weather represents how you're feeling right now?" |
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* My team lead Bero at Automattic, who's proactive support in putting his team |
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first means I've always felt safe to speak my mind. |
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It's perhaps inevitable that I'll keep ending up in leadership positions, |
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whether ir not I desire it! |
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But I'm optimistic that a greater awareness of the places I've got potential |
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to grow as a person will help ensure that when it happens, I'm a better leader |
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than I was the previous time. |
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LINKS |
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Website of my coach Steph Vora (https://www.voracoaching.com) |
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My blog post: Do What You're Bad At (https://danq.me) |
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Vlog version of my blog post: Do What You're Bad At (https://danq.me) |
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Bodleian Libraries (https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk) |
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Liz (https://www.linkedin.com) |
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Three Rings CIC (https://www.threerings.org.uk) |
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Beverley (https://webdevbev.co.uk) |
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Automattic (https://automattic.com) |
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