Natan Žabkar Nordberg, an Engineering Manager with a passion for people management and team environments, shares his insights on trust-first leadership. He discusses the importance of treating team members as whole humans and the concept of guided autonomy, providing clear boundaries for empowerment. Natan emphasizes the value of diversity in teams and approaches leadership with a focus on individual growth through personalized strategies. He also highlights how constructive conflict and improvisational principles can enhance teamwork and innovation.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Natan's Untraditional Career Journey
Natan Žabkar Nordberg transitioned from theoretical mathematics and acting to engineering management.
He emphasizes supporting people personally, even advising them to leave if it benefits them more.
insights INSIGHT
Good Culture Is Personal
Good culture varies and depends on what fits a person and time.
It evolves with life changes, focusing on personal priorities like security or pushing harder.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Give Trust To Gain Ownership
Give trust first to empower ownership, especially remotely.
Use guided autonomy by setting clear boundaries but let people drive the details.
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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 Natan Žabkar Nordberg about how effective leadership requires treating people as whole humans, giving trust first, implementing guided autonomy with clear boundaries, and building diverse teams through shared experiences.
Read a transcript of this interview: https://bit.ly/4lq91Q0
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