Tech Leadership, In So Many Words ………… #1 Curiosity

When involved in tech you’re always learning something new.

New language, new version of a language, new frameworks etc.

But as you move into managerial and leadership roles then the learning process shifts from the technical to the personal, from a more natural comfort zone into the sometimes un-chartered waters of soft skills and people management that make the difference in senior roles.

So it helps when managing this transition if you’re already instinctively curious, motivated by constant learning and development.

And let’s face it … constant learning should be at the core of what drives our personal development.
Above and beyond the rigours and demands of work and ambition, setting aside time to set new goals and achievements is all part of building a toolkit for both personal and professional fulfilment, and they tend to go hand-in-hand.

Give yourself space to learn and grow outside immediate work requirements …
Maybe a different form of language, hobby, musical instrument, drawing.

The more you explore, the more passions you discover and creative tools you can bring into the work environment.

“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.” — Eric Ries

For sure, those who lead also read, their curiosity sated by reaching outside their immediate world.

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates famously consume huge amounts of reading material to maintain their edge and it’s a consistent theme that leading entrepreneurs spend a significant amount of their working time, reading.

When asked “How to become a good CTO” it’s almost always the soft skills and that endless thirst to learn, grow and be curious that makes a key difference.

But we’re all “time poor” and no-one can deny that curiosity and learning takes time.

Which is why the art of delegation becomes so important …. to give you the space to lead, learn and be forever curious.