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How To Be A Tech Lead

A practical guide for new and experienced tech leads to increase their confidence, effectiveness, and impact

Michael Rice

Are you a new tech lead who wants to know what the expectations are? An experienced tech lead who needs to be more impactful? In this short book, the founder of the Tech Lead Coaching Network and experienced software manager and leader will explain the role and five core capabilities you need to be confident and impactful in the role.

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About

About

About the Book

Stepping up to be a tech lead is a small step into leadership, but it may be the most important step you ever take in your career. I want to help guide you through it.

Some of the things you'll learn from this short book include:

  • Whether you should even take the plunge to tech lead
  • What it means to get results through others, maybe for the first time in your life
  • How to focus on the process of growth more than the results
  • What the tech lead role is and what tech leads do
  • Navigating hard conversations
  • How to listen to your team skillfully as a tech lead
  • Taking initiative and being accountable as a tech lead
  • How to craft clear and compelling visions for the team
  • How to track and adjust what the team is doing
  • And more!

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Author

About the Author

Michael Rice

Michael Rice is a software engineer, manager, and leader. He has been writing code or managing teams since the late 1990s, having worked at companies like Intel, Accenture, Red Hat and more. He lives in the Los Angeles area.

Leanpub Podcast

Episode 164

An Interview with Michael Rice

Contents

Table of Contents

About the Author

Introduction

  1. Why I Wrote This Book

We’re on a Journey, Tech Leads!

  1. A New Chapter in Your Career and Life
  2. Getting Results Through Others
  3. Should You Be a Tech Lead?
  4. Focus on the Process Not the Results
  5. From Here On, Let’s Get Practical

What is the Tech Lead Role and Why Do We Need It?

  1. Popular Thinking on What a Tech Lead Is
  2. Some Organizations Have Formal Tech Lead Roles
  3. Informal Tech Leads
  4. Promoting Yourself to Tech Lead
  5. Why We Need Tech Leads

What Do Tech Leads Do?

  1. You Will Be Communicating More–A Lot More
  2. You Will Be Taking a Broader View
  3. You Will Be Active, Not Passive
  4. Still a Deeply Technical Role
  5. The Tech Lead Role is Fluid

Your Tech Lead Toolbox: The Five Pareto Capabilities

  1. Foundation: Navigating Hard Conversations
  2. Tech Leadership With the Five Pareto Capabilities

Capability No. 1: Listening

  1. Maturing Your Skill as a Listener
  2. Listening Is Critical to Developing Your Tech Lead Influence
  3. Blockers to Skillful Listening

Capability No. 2: A Bias for Action

  1. Stepping Into Leadership Moments
  2. Let’s Talk About Your Energy Level
  3. Maturing Your Bias for Action Capability

Capability No. 3: Vision Crafting

  1. Creating Clear and Compelling Visions as a Tech Lead?
  2. Maturing Your Vision Crafting Capability

Capability No. 4: Tracking + Adjusting

  1. Tracking the Team
  2. Making Adjustments
  3. Bringing Tracking and Adjusting Together
  4. Maturing in Your Tracking + Adjusting Capability

Capability No. 5: Growth Mindset

Wrapping Up

For More

  1. More From the Author
  2. Other Recommendations

Getting Help

  1. Why Should You Consider Coaching?
  2. What is the Tech Lead Coaching Network?

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