Leading and Human-ing in 2024 — with Lena Reinhard (CircleCI)
Jan 26, 2024
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Lena Reinhard, VP of Engineering at CircleCI, discusses challenges in the tech industry, creating a healthy work environment, and the importance of self-care for leaders in this episode. They also explore generational shifts, recognizing signs of burnout, and investing in a healthy work environment.
The podcast highlights the challenges faced by leaders in the tech industry and provides strategies for managing engineering teams during difficult times.
Lena Reinhard emphasizes the need to build successful systems within organizations and navigate complexity, addressing the systemic factors affecting the tech industry.
The conversation explores the importance of self-care for leaders, investing in a healthy work environment, and recognizing signs of burnout.
Deep dives
Navigating Challenging Times for Leaders in Tech
The podcast episode explores the challenges leaders in the tech industry face and discusses strategies for managing engineering teams in difficult times. Lena Wainhart, a leadership coach, emphasizes the need to build successful systems within organizations and navigate complexity. She highlights the systemic factors affecting the tech industry, such as global events and the impact of VC funding. Lena addresses the divide between companies that prioritize employee well-being and those focused on intense work culture. She suggests finding ways to bridge this gap and create a work environment that values both results and employee well-being.
Leading and Managing Under Pressure
Lena and the host discuss the difficulties of leading and managing engineering teams during challenging times. They emphasize the importance of caring for one's own well-being as a leader and setting an example for the team. The conversation explores detecting signs of burnout and the benefits of journaling to maintain self-awareness. They also discuss the need to invest in creating a healthy work environment, setting boundaries, and building systems that reduce dependence on individual leaders.
The Role of Leaders and Ego
The episode delves into the role of leaders and the challenges they face in managing their egos. They discuss the necessity of managers securing their own well-being and avoiding martyr syndrome. The conversation emphasizes shifting the mindset from being the sole problem solver to empowering teams and creating an environment that fosters growth and success. They also explore the value of providing context to employees, transparent communication, and the importance of humility and recognizing the accomplishments of oneself and the team.
Investing in a Healthy Work Environment
The podcast episode explores practical ways to invest in creating a healthy work environment. They discuss how leaders can delegate tasks, automate processes, and build systems that empower employees and encourage growth. The conversation highlights the importance of transparent communication and contextualizing information for teams. They also touch on the significance of not making work dependent on individual leaders and recognizing the boundaries of their impact. Finally, they suggest journaling and keeping track of accomplishments to maintain self-awareness and ensure personal well-being.
Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Leader
The conversation addresses the transition from being an individual contributor to taking on a leadership role. They discuss the challenges leaders face in focusing on team success rather than personal recognition. The episode highlights the importance of humility and acknowledging that leadership roles involve less visible work. They explore the value of setting an example for the team and creating an environment where others can shine. The conversation also emphasizes the significance of recognizing one's own impact and investing in continuous personal and professional growth.
Lena Reinhardt has dedicated her career to helping technology leaders build successful engineering organizations.
Her background includes roles such as VP of Engineering at CircleCI and TravisCI, along with being a co founder and CEO of a SaaS startup. She now works as a leadership coach, management trainer, and organizational developer.
Here are a few things we discussed in our chat:
Challenges in the tech industry 📉
Creating a healthy work environment 🏡
How to take care of yourself ❤️
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This episode is brought to you by Swarmia, the engineering effectiveness platform for modern software organizations: https://swarmia.com
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Here are the key chapters from the interview:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:18) The Landscape of the Tech Industry
(06:25) The Role of Venture Capital
(13:14) Generational Shifts
(19:40) Leading in Times of Uncertainty
(22:57) Self-Care for Leaders
(35:18) Understanding Your Role and Its Impact
(41:18) Recognizing Signs of Burnout
(44:37) Investing in a Healthy Work Environment
(52:32) The Importance of Delegation and System Building
(01:02:55) Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts
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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, or appearing as a guest, email luca@refactoring.club
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