Thiago Ghisi, a tech veteran with 20 years of experience straddling Brazil and the U.S., shares his insights on engineering leadership and culture. He emphasizes the power of leading by example and engaging directly with teams. The discussion highlights the benefits of 'glue work,' often overlooked yet essential for career growth. Thiago also compares the professional landscapes of Brazil and the U.S., touching on work-life balance and career opportunities. He offers wisdom on navigating transitions into management and the importance of self-awareness in career decisions.
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insights INSIGHT
Culture Is What People Do
Culture is formed more by what people do than by what they say or write down.
Invisible routines and reward signals shape what is safe and acceptable in an org.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Lead By Doing, Not Just Telling
Lead culture changes by example: run meetings, try new rituals, and do hands-on work.
Be visible, take skin in the game, and be willing to dive into code or problems when necessary.
insights INSIGHT
Local Context Shapes Engineering Careers
National context affects career opportunities, resources, and management maturity.
Brazil's industry is younger with different expectations around hours, sacrifice, and tooling compared to the US.
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This is the Engineering Culture Podcast, from the people behind InfoQ.com and the QCon conferences.
In this podcast, Shane Hastie, Lead Editor for Culture & Methods, spoke to Thiago Ghisi about building engineering culture through leading by example, advancing careers by embracing "glue work" (non-technical but necessary tasks), taking full ownership of projects, and developing self-awareness to choose between technical and management career paths.
Read a transcript of this interview: http://bit.ly/3Uen9jV
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