Early Mistakes in Leadership

James Carr discusses his early mistakes as a leader and the transition from being an individual contributor to focusing on the big picture and team strategy.

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👉 Check out the resources mentioned here: https://fellow.app/supermanagers/james-carr-the-outcome-driven-engineer

How often do you approach your daily tasks with clear intention?

There's a prevailing notion in many businesses that prioritize "output" over "outcome". But what if this mindset inadvertently redirects our focus and dilutes our intentionality?

James explains that, “Every action is a vote for who you intend to be.” This philosophy revolves around aligning each action with the desired outcome based on set intentions. Moreover, James sheds light on the significance of acknowledging 'invisible work'—the countless, often overlooked tasks that fill our days.

James Carr is an engineering leader with over 20 years of experience building and running distributed systems, leading high performing teams, and collaborating across functions. He has worked in various positions at CARFAX, Monetate and Zapier, and is currently the Director of Engineering at Care.com.

In episode #164, James shares his advice for using ChatGPT for job applications, being an ideal team player, and what to “lean in” on as an engineering leader.

Tune in to learn more about James’ leadership journey and the invaluable lessons he’s gathered along the way!

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TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[05:00] Focus on outcome not output

[09:30] What to lean in on as an engineering leader

[16:25] Change work by using intention

[23:28] Quality vs quantity

[26:00] Using ChatGPT for job applications

[31:00] What’s the deal with cover letters

[36:50] What an ideal team player looks like