Recently, I found myself discussing leadership with my colleagues. On multiple occasions in the past, I've been hesitant to pen down my thoughts. It's because this topic often feels somewhat intangible compared to the more concrete world of engineering and science. But then I realized where my hesitation stemmed from — it was the perfectionist in me desiring to write my own comprehensive guide to leadership. Rather than do that, though, I decided to own the imperfection and simply share what I've learned from being team captain of a robotics competition team of 50 members with 6 direct reports.
Heaven or Hell - The Power of Leadership
The club captain position comes with inherent power and authority. This power can shape the collaboration environment dramatically – making it either a heaven or a hell for the team. I try my best to strive for the former.
Technical Skill and Credibility
In my role as a team captain, technical expertise is non-negotiable to have any kind of credibility in my teammates eyes. I need bring to the table advanced knowledge that I can share with my teammates. For me, I've chosen ROS2, performant C++, simulations. Staying technically grounded is crucial!
Fostering Pyschological Safety
Psychological safety is key to high-performing teams. This means protecting my team's time from overwhelming demands and normalizing conversations about failures and mistakes. It's about creating an environment where learning from errors is valued and members having courage to try something new.
Share Credit
Credit sharing is not a zero-sum game. Credit sharing builds trust. It shows that you are a team player. It multiplies the more we give it away. As such, it's important that we continually recognize the contributions of our teammates.
Humility
This one is my biggest challenge; I'm naturally a prideful person. Humility is the antidote - it isn't thinking less about myself, it's thinking about myself less. It's also important to be self aware of my circle of competence.
Conclusion
I've been most influenced by the ideas of servant leadership: guiding, supporting, and elevating others before myself. This post has touched on just a few facets of what leadership means to me – there are undoubtedly more!
