No Nonsense Agile Leadership

#0123 - Effective Technical Leadership with Daniel Terhorst North

Jan 6, 2026
Daniel Terhorst North, a seasoned technical leader with over 30 years in software delivery and organizational change, shares insights on effective technical leadership. He emphasizes that many performance problems are rooted in systemic issues, not individual failures. Daniel offers practical strategies for fostering peer alliances and utilizing constructive feedback. He also discusses the importance of aligning objectives, turning critics into allies, and adopting a 'first team' mentality. Leadership, he insists, is a learnable skill—one that requires humility and continuous learning.
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INSIGHT

Manage The System, Not The People

  • Technical leaders should manage the system of work, not act as policemen over people.
  • Good management optimises the environment so people can do their best work.
INSIGHT

Context Drives Performance

  • Most performance variability comes from the system, not the person, so blame context before individuals.
  • Changing people without changing context usually reproduces the same problems.
ADVICE

Align Incentives With Outcomes

  • Align incentives so people are rewarded for outcomes that benefit the whole system rather than local metrics.
  • Create feedback loops between sales, delivery, and customers to prevent perverse behaviours.
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