Effectively leading a team through an acquisition or merger can be shaky ground to navigate. You aren’t just dealing with merging teams, tech stack, and processes—but also a culture. Your team needs leadership that is open, honest, and transparent about the process. If your company is going through a merger or acquisition and you want to arm yourself with some tools to manage your team efficiently through the process, learn from the expertise of today’s guest, Loïc Houssier. In this episode of Simple Leadership, Loïc and I discuss what he’s learned about leadership, what his mistakes have taught him, and how he managed his team through multiple mergers. With a background in Mathematics and Cryptography, Loic launched his career as a security researcher in France. As his career evolved, he took on management roles in Software Engineering—focusing on Critical Infrastructure of European Administrations—for Orange, Thales, and Naval Group. He joined a startup, OpenTrust, to help with its growth and organize the teams and eventually became the CTO. Loïc joined DocuSign via the acquisition of OpenTrust 4 years ago and is now the VP of Engineering and based in San Francisco. His role is leading the Docusign effort on Mobile, eCommerce and Billing systems. Outline of This Episode [2:42] Loïc’s background in the industry [8:24] Using non-technical skills to influence [12:22] Assign the right task to the right people [16:13] Focus on priorities and don’t micro-manage [20:30] Leading your team through a merger [26:35] Dealing with after-merge changes [30:55] Efficiently scaling engineering teams [35:35] Introducing measurement and metrics [40:33] Books Loïc recommends Operating in different industries help you become a better leader With Loïc’s background as a research engineer in the field of security, he was used to being the voice of expertise in a room. As he moved through different organizations and moved into managerial roles, he worked in areas where he was not the technical expert. It was an eye-opening experience for him. Loïc had to learn to put his ego aside and find other ways to get his teams to listen to him. PerLoïc, “You don’t have to be the best technical person in the room to make a decision”.  Armed with the knowledge that he wasn’t always going to be the expert, he sought to find ways to learn to listen to his team. Even without the technical knowledge, he could help solve their problems and make decisions. Loïc encourages you to try something completely different than your area of expertise for the humbling experience—and learning lessons—you’ll get. The higher up you move the more you have to rely on your non-technical skills to influence, communicate and get things done.  Mistakes can be a catalyst for growth When you take on a management role you quickly learn that everyone is gifted differently. Some people, like Loïc, are more outspoken and on-task go-getters. Other people can be quiet and painstakingly detail-oriented. Loïc experienced this firsthand with a team he was assigned to for a government project. He assigned a team-member a task that he expected to take a couple of days. But it took almost 4 weeks for him to submit the requested document—after being asked for it multiple times. Loïc went to his superior, fuming, stating there’s no way he could continue to work with someone who wasted his time. After explaining the situation to his boss, his manager flat-out told him that the mistake was his. He had assigned the wrong task to the wrong person. Loïc learned that as a manager, his role was “Not to change people, but to understand how people are efficient in their own way and give them the work where they will be successful.''  The team member that he struggled to understand? Loïc placed him in a role that was a much better fit—managing configuration management. He excelled in the role and did amazingly well. Loïc learned you can’t be quick to judge people who are different. Instead, you must take a step back and approach the situation through a different lens. You may yield unexpected results.  What Loïc learned about managing people through a merger When a company is acquired and your team is about to be integrated into a new culture, it can be disruptive. If you’re in a leadership role, it can be difficult to navigate the changes while keeping your team calm and collected. Loïc has learned that your #1 priority needs to be setting clear expectations as soon as possible. When people don’t have clarity about their ongoing role it leaves room for fear. This can lead to friction between the merging teams which in turn leads to a lack of efficiency.  You must aim to be as transparent as possible. Tell your team why the business is being acquired—were they looking to complement their software? Add to their tech stack? Perhaps the acquiring company was looking for a marketing asset? Stay apprised of the situation so that you can communicate with your team and alleviate any concerns that may have.  Dealing with implementing changes post-merger Whether your team is prepared or not a merger comes with significant change. As you’re leading your team you must help them embrace the change—not fight it. The team might need to learn a new system or process. They may even have to change what instant messaging platform they’re using. Although change can be frustrating, encourage them as they’re integrating. Sometimes you must accept changes that aren’t optimal for your team for the good of the company. Loïc also noted that your team needs to have a sense of purpose, a mission. It isn’t just about integrating into the new company but making sure they are bought in and invested in the vision of the new company. People need to belong to something bigger. If you can effectively help them connect with a vision, it can also help to lower turnover as the two teams become one.  Loïc and I talk about efficiently scaling teams, the process of innovation, and introducing metrics and measurement. Be sure to listen to the episode for the whole conversation! Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: Zone to Win by Geoffrey A. Moore BOOK: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou BOOK: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace Connect with Loïc Houssier  LinkedIn Twitter Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

Cultivating diversity in the workplace is at the forefront of challenges that starts-ups face. Creating diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, and even opinions and skill sets is something every business must implement. You need to build a team with diverse perspectives in different backgrounds. Tess Hatch from Bessemer Venture Partners and Jess Mink with Auth0 lend me their expertise in today’s episode of Simple Leadership. We’ll cover everything from hiring the right people, what investors wished managers knew more of, and being an ally and sponsor. Tess Hatch earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan. She went on to earn a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Stanford. She started her career as the head of product and mission management at SpaceX. She is now a venture capitalist specializing in frontier tech and serves on the board for many businesses in the industry. Jess Mink holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University. She’s worked at Amazon as a software development engineer and has worked with various startups over the last 26 years. She is now the Sr. Direction of Engineering at Auth0. Her goal is to help build teams who empower their employees and solve real-world problems.  Outline of This Episode [1:40] I introduce Tess & we learn her background [5:40] Jess gives us her background [8:40] Hire the right people around you  [12:25] How to help companies diversify and set appropriate culture [18:50] Things managers should know in early stages of companies [24:20] How do you know and address customer care problems [25:55] The importance of good leadership in building healthy teams [33:45] Diversity should be tracked as a metric [39:20] How to practice inclusion in the workplace [41:50] Sponsoring someone in an underrepresented group [48:20] Books and podcasts Tess and Jess recommend Creating company culture begins with hiring the right people When you’re looking at forming a company you need to be mindful of hiring people around you to complement your skillset. If you’re the ‘tech person’—hire someone who is business-minded. Your goal is to build a team that has deep expertise and understanding of the market. Of course, how you fill out your team depends on the industry you’re in.  You are cultivating the right—or wrong—culture with every person you hire. Every single person you add to the mix needs to be carefully selected. You need to balance technological expertise with communication skills and emotional development. It’s important to define and create guidelines for your company culture from day one. This provides you a clear definition of the type of people who will fit and enhance your culture.  Keep listening as we discuss issues startups need to address, scaling your business, learning what your customers want, and managing engineers.  Create a professional board of advisors—for yourself Are you ready to be a better manager and leader? As a leader in your organization or industry striving to build healthy teams, you also need to take advantage of mentorship and learning opportunities. Work with a high-level executive coach. Be a part of a CEO group. It’s a difficult and lonely job, and these groups know the issues you face. You can help each other through challenging team dynamics amongst other problems to solve. Tess recommends building a personal team of advisors—specific people you reach out to for guidance in specific areas.  Find 3-6 people you look up to as mentors in the industry (maybe even past professors, previous employers, etc.) and specifically ask them to be a mentor for you. Build yourself a network that you can lean on as you continue to learn about your industry and the struggles you face.  Jess gives a sage piece of advice—know the struggle you may face before entering a particular position. Go to slack channels or online forums about the problems people in management face and what their solutions are. As you begin your management position, you’re already aware of some of the challenges you’ll face—and equipped to deal with them.  Cultivating diversity in the workplace Not only do you need to balance different perspectives and skill sets in your senior leadership slots, but you need to build a diverse workplace. You will destroy your company if you call up your friends and build a team with similar interests and mindsets. You must be sure to encourage different voices to speak up.  Make inclusion and diversity a metric that you track. Jess and Tess agree that the easiest way to create diversity is to set a goal (i.e. 50/50 male/female split across the company) and give yourself a timeline for hiring to reach that goal (2 years). Take the goals you’ve set and eliminate bias in your interview and hiring process. So what does that mean? Be flexible and schedule interviews when people are available: Work around the hours of their current job—most people have to job-search while still employed somewhere else. Don’t set interview times for when a candidate may be having to deal with childcare issues. Make sure job-postings are available and marketed to people of different gender, race, socioeconomic backgrounds, and so forth. The more you hire historically underrepresented groups, the more they will feel comfortable to apply for and work with your team. Make your workplace culture one that is inclusive and strives to integrate different backgrounds and perspectives. ‘Sponsoring’ someone in an under-represented group Have you heard of ‘Sponsoring’ before? You choose someone to invest in and mentor—someone you trust enough to put your career and credibility on the line for. You choose to advocate for someone and give them speaking slots or nominate them for a job. Think critically and invest your time in someone different from you.  In doing so, you are helping to diversify the people being promoted to management positions. On the flip side, if you’re a person who is looking to be sponsored there are a few things you can do. Firstly, find someone willing to mentor you. Make it clear to your management what your goals are and where you want to go. Articulate your accomplishments humbly and always be in the eye of those able to promote you. For more wisdom from two experts in the industry, be sure to listen to the whole episode of Simple Leadership now! Resources & People Mentioned Bessemer Venture Partners Auth0 First Female Astronaut: Sally Ride Hire More Women in Tech BOOK: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team BOOK: Dare to Lead Podcast: Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Blog: Lara Hogan Connect with Tess & Jess Jess Mink on Twitter: @MinkJess Jess on LinkedIn Tess Hatch: Space(at)bvp.com Tess on LinkedIn Tess on Twitter: @TessHatch Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

Being an effective leader is about more than just managing people efficiently. Krister Ungerböck (unger-bahk) joins us today to talk about why being a leader is about changing the language you use. Krister is a keynote speaker, CEO Coach, and global expert in The Language of Leadership. Prior to retiring at age 42, Krister was the award-winning CEO of one of the largest family-owned software companies in the world. His expertise in the Language of Leadership is based upon his unique experience as a global CEO leading teams in three languages while observing and doing business with executives in over 40 countries, building businesses in six and living in three. As a corporate keynote speaker, Krister is passionate about sharing the secrets that his team used to win 5 consecutive Top Workplace awards and achieve remarkable employee engagement levels of 99.3%. His upcoming book, The Language of Leadership: Words to Transform How We Lead, Live and Love, will launch on Bosses Day, Oct. 16 Outline of This Episode [0:40] I introduce my guest, Krister Ungerböck [5:00] The Language of Leadership [10:15] Being a leader versus a manager [12:15] Why you don’t want to lead with the language of expertise [16:35] Employee Engagement [20:40] How to “build better bosses” [25:50] Why is empathy and emotional intelligence important [31:05] How to overcome feeling trapped in your role [34:30] Book recommendations & resources The language of an effective leader Are you in a leadership position, but often find yourself floundering, unsure of your role? Do people find you domineering or hard to work for? Krister sought to write a book to help you develop and embody a leadership style that isn’t only effective in the workplace, but in your personal relationships as well. A crucial element of effective leadership is the language you use. Krister shares a story on this episode about a woman who stayed loyal to her company—despite the fact they forgot to pay her multiple times. Would your best employee stay if you were unable to pay them? Does your leadership elicit that kind of loyalty? You’ll want to listen as Krister and I discuss the language of requests and why it’s important to be a leader, not a manager. Why the ‘language of expertise’ doesn’t work Why do you think most people get promoted? It is usually because they have proven their expertise in whatever field they’re working in. They’re simply good at what they do. But does being an expert qualify you to be a good leader? Obviously, it’s a great quality to have, but Krister talks about why you do not want to lead from a place of expertise. It puts you in a position where you are constantly required to give people answers. When you find yourself leading anywhere from 10-30 people, this is no longer a feasible option. There is not enough time in your day to constantly answer questions. Instead of giving answers, you want to equip your staff to be able to answer some of the tough questions and come to their own conclusions. Your goal as a leader is to attract and retain great people and build a company full of top-performers. You definitely want to listen to the full episode—Krister and I cover the key to employee engagement—you don’t want to miss it! The importance of asking better questions Effective leadership requires the ability to ask better questions to get better responses. One way Krister puts this into practice is asking permission to give someone feedback. He does this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it gives the person the opportunity to be honest and state they’re not in the right headspace. Secondly, you want them to be engaged, interacting with you, and be moving towards a solution.  One of Krister’s favorite ways to phrase a question is “On a scale of 1-10 how open are you for feedback?” Or, “What do you think are the top 5 things you need to work on?” You need to ask a question to engage your employee that doesn’t elicit a simple yes or no answer. When someone answers with a number, it gives you the opportunity to follow up with “What can we do to make that seven a nine?” It’s a great tool for better engagement and communication. Emotional Intelligence: Leading from a place of empathy I think many leaders struggle with the idea of emotional intelligence and leading from a place of vulnerability. But think about it—you are more connected to people when you actually like them. Being an empathetic leader allows you build deeper connections and creates a safe environment for your employees where they are not motivated by fear.  In this segment, Krister talks about how the phrases “to feel” or “I feel” have different connotations in different languages. Too often, in English, “I feel” is usually followed by “like” or “that” which takes a feeling and turns it into a thought. Doing so creates disconnect—and tends to make others defensive. The fear that ensures shuts down the creative part of the brain and you’ll quickly lose the ability to get them to problem solve. So what should you do instead? Convey how you’re truly feeling. “This account is very important, and I am afraid we may lose them if we don’t meet this deadline.'' You want to convey that you’re not accusing them or laying blame, but wanting to work with them to reach a solution. This is just a brief part of everything we cover on this episode of Simple Leadership—listen to the whole episode with Krister for more details on effective leadership. Resources & People Mentioned Book: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Book: Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patteron, Joseph Grenny, et al. Book: Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD Manager Tools Podcast Connect with Krister Ungerboeck Krister.com Krister on YouTube Krister on Instagram Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

What does it take to up your game and improve your management skills? Do you need to read better books or get around the right environment? Here to help us dig in and understand some key aspects of an effective manger is, Jocelyn Goldfein. Jocelyn is a technology executive and investor. She is the managing director and a general partner at venture capital firm Zetta Venture Partners. Previously she was a director of engineering at Facebook and vice president of engineering at VMware. Jocelyn is passionate about scaling products, teams, and companies, and she cares deeply about STEM education. In our conversation, Jocelyn talks about the lessons she learned as a manager, how to create a positive work culture, advice for leaders, how to encourage diversity, and much more. You’ll want to listen closely to the helpful insights that Jocelyn has to share! Outline of This Episode [0:40] I introduce my guest, Jocelyn Goldfein [1:50] Jocelyn talks about her background in tech. [9:00] What lessons did Jocelyn learn from her early years as a manager? [12:00] Motivation is one of management's underused superpowers. [14:30] How to create a healthy work culture. [22:15] What did Jocelyn do at Facebook to streamline their hiring process? [37:00] Advice for engineering leaders at startups. [39:50] What can leaders do to create a more diverse workplace? [48:00] Resource recommendations from Jocelyn. Lessons learned How do you go from zero management or leadership experience and expect to hit the ground running? The truth is - you can’t! Most people thrust into a sudden leadership role will struggle at first; no one is born with solid management skills. It is your responsibility to be flexible and learn as you go. Unfortunately, in most situations, someone won’t come along and hold your hand, showing you exactly what you need to do. If you can find a mentor or a peer who has also been thrust into a new area of responsibility, then learn from them. Leadership is often lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Motivation is a manager’s superpower Did you know that motivation is a manager’s secret superpower? It’s true! While some managers will try to dangle carrots or get their team members to perform with sticks, good managers will search for a deeper motivation. Remember, people are not systems or machines; they don’t always respond in predictable or logical ways. If you want to improve your management skills, you need to focus on praise and encouragement. Don’t be so quick to jump to financial incentives - most people just need to feel like they are moving in a positive direction and accomplishing their goals. How to create a healthy culture What does a healthy culture in an organization look like? Does it all come down to putting the right words on the wall or the right onboarding video? Culture starts from the top. Jocelyn Goldfein’s definition of culture is the behavior you reward and punish. What behavior does your organization reward and punish? If your successful leaders embody the vision and values of the organization, then you are headed in the right direction. You can learn more about Jocelyn’s perspective on building a healthy work culture by reading her blog post located in the resources section at the end of this post. Diversity in the workplace One of the key aspects of improving your management skills is learning to pay attention to the level of diversity in your workplace. Diversity is a critical component, especially when it comes to the technology sector. If you want to see your team’s potential increase - then pay attention to the level of diversity! There is a massive opportunity right now for tech companies to tap into underrepresented groups in the workforce. Don’t be afraid or worried about diversity - embrace it. Start with an assessment - where is your organization at, right now? Is there a sufficient level of diversity and inclusion, or is there room to grow? To learn more about improving your management skills by focusing on diversity and other helpful topics, make sure to catch my full conversation with Jocelyn on this episode of Simple Leadership - you don’t want to miss it! Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion BOOK: Debugging the Development Process Connect with Jocelyn Goldfein Jocelyn Goldfein - Los Altos, California | Professional Profile | LinkedIn Jocelyngoldfein Jocelyn Goldfein – Medium Jocelyn Goldfein | AngelList Jocelyn Goldfein (@jgoldfein) · Twitter Jocelyn Goldfein - Forbes Culture is the Behavior You Reward and Punish Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

What does it look like to create a work environment where employees can succeed and thrive? Are there steps you can take as a leader to encourage and support your team members in a meaningful way? Here to help us understand what makes Asana a, “Top 5 Best Place to Work” is my guest, Scott Carleton. Scott is currently the Site Lead of Asana’s NYC office, dedicated to enabling all teams to collaborate effortlessly. Previously, Scott was the VP of Technology at Andela, empowering engineering talent across Africa. Scott co-founded Artsicle as CTO, building a global community of visual artists now featuring over 6000 creators in 100 countries. His work on Artsicle's discovery engine, which was able to create a personalized experience for passive users, earned NYER's "Best Use of Technology" award in 2013. Scott also built the first internal engineering team at Teachers Pay Teachers from 0 to 12, while integrating a high functioning remote team. In our conversation, Scott talks about his journey to management, lessons he has learned along the way, the value of transparency, why an empowering work environment is so important and much more. You’ll need pen and paper for this one - Scott has a ton of helpful insights to share. Outline of This Episode [0:40] I welcome my guest, Scott Carleton. [2:00] Scott talks about his background. [4:30] How did Scott get started on the management track? [6:25] Scott reflects on early mistakes he made as a manager. [9:00] The value of transparency. [10:40] Tips for new managers. [13:30] What does Scott’s day-to-day role look like as a Site Lead for Asana? [17:30] Navigating company culture in a distributed environment. [22:30] What makes Asana a Top 5 Best Place to Work? [27:00] Empowering employees and providing growth opportunities. [31:00] What does it take to be a top-notch engineering manager? [34:00] Using Slack the most effective way possible. [37:00] How to set your team up for success in your absence. [40:45] Book recommendations from Scott. The value of transparency Throughout your career, are there any values or principles that stand out to you as “Must-haves” to create an empowering work environment? Maybe for you, it’s integrity or competency. For Scott Carleton and the folks at Asana, one of the top values is transparency. Transparency is crucial, especially for a distributed company like Asana. Scott says that the value of transparency is constantly top-of-mind for him as he engages with his team and works to build consistency and collaboration at Asana. Hand-in-hand with transparency is Scott’s goal to make as much of their processes and systems as clear and understandable as possible. While this is no easy task, Scott is proud of the ground they’ve been able to cover thus far. How to empower your team members Any good manager worth their salt focuses not only on their team members’ productivity but also looks for ways to encourage and empower them as individuals. Can you think of a manager who has empowered you at critical moments in your career? What did they do that made their efforts stand out? From his time at Andela, Scott learned the value of providing his team members with applicable growth opportunities - not just any growth opportunity but - applicable ones. The difference here is key - while it might be a good experience for someone on your team to level up on JavaScript - if it doesn’t apply to the work they are currently engaged in it’s not really that helpful. How do you empower your team members? What growth opportunities do you provide them? Creating a healthy work environment At some point in their career - just about everyone encounters a dysfunctional and unhealthy work environment. How can leaders like you ensure that the environment you are building is a healthy and empowering one? One of the primary reasons Scott joined Asana is their relentless commitment to organizational health. They’ve created clear and concise pathways that encourage their managers and team members to reflect on and learn from projects that were successful and unsuccessful. It is of paramount importance to Asana as an organization that everyone understands how their tasks directly contribute to the overall mission of the company. To hear more about how this plays out at Asana - from Scott’s perspective - make sure to listen to this episode of Simple Leadership. What it takes to be an effective manager Let’s face it; life as a manager is not for the faint of heart. Yes, you get a lot of great opportunities to influence your team and make great strides for your organization, but there is also a fair share of challenges and obstacles that come with the territory. How do you navigate those challenges and serve as an effective manager? According to Scott Carleton, if you want to succeed as a manager, you’ve got to be willing to give your people honest feedback that helps them improve. We’ve all been in those one-on-one’s where the feedback you received was not helpful or constructive - don’t make that same mistake! Scott also points to the value of knowing your limitations and a willingness to be vulnerable as key aspects of an effective manager. Ask for help and be open about the challenges you are facing - what do you have to lose? Remember - this is only a snapshot of my conversation with Scott - make sure to listen to this episode of Simple Leadership to get the FULL conversation. Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: The Advantage BOOK: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team BOOK: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People BOOK: The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Andela Asana Connect with Scott Carleton Scott on LinkedIn Scott on Twitter Scotter[at]asana.com Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

As the economy and various business sectors continue to evolve, many leaders are looking at how transitioning to a distributed company might be the best option going forward. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Zapier’s Bryan Helmig to discuss all the benefits and some of the challenges involved with running a distributed company. Bryan co-founded Zapier in late 2011 with his friends Mike and Wade, and they were soon admitted to Y Combinator’s YCS12 batch. Zapier is a web automation application, with Zapier you can build Zaps which can automate parts of your business or life. A Zap is a blueprint for a task you want to do over and over. In our conversation, Bryan and I discuss the crucial role of hiring, what that process looks like at Zapier, the three ingredients for running a successful distributed company, lessons he has learned along the way, and much more. I can’t wait for you to dive in and learn from Bryan’s fascinating perspective! Outline of This Episode [1:45] Guest Bryan Helmig shares his background and why he started Zapier. [5:20] Why hiring is one of the most critical aspects of a startup. [8:50] What does Bryan look for when hiring Engineering Managers and remote employees? [13:20] Three ingredients for running a successful distributed company. [16:50] The benefits of a fully distributed company. [21:30] Bryan describes the challenges he has faced with running a distributed company. [25:00] How does Zapier optimize their hiring process? [31:00] What does the Zapier on-boarding process look like? [36:00] Change is the only constant. [39:30] Why you need to keep an eye on the mental health of your remote employees. [43:00] Tools and resources that Bryan recommends. [44:30] Why people should consider working at Zapier. Why you need to pay attention to your hiring process. What would you identify as the number one area that business leaders should focus on as they work to take their business to the next level of growth? Should they focus on big-picture strategies or less sexy aspects like their hiring process? Looking back at the growth of Zapier, Bryan Helmig says that the hiring process is the most important area for businesses in general and startups, in particular, to focus on. Hiring can be even more complicated for a distributed company but, in Bryan’s view, it doesn’t have to be. At the end of the day, it all comes down to relationships - the people who you hire and trust are critical to your business’ health. Learn more about Bryan’s approach to the hiring process at Zapier by listening to this episode. 3 ingredients for running a successful distributed company. Let’s face it, running a successful business is hard enough but the challenges can increase tenfold when you are operating as a distributed company. Thankfully, leaders like Bryan Helmig are leading the way and paving a path forward. In our conversation, Bryan was kind enough to share his three ingredients for running a successful distributed company. Team - Focus on less “poster values” and emphasize behavior values like, “Default to action.” Tools - Don’t be a robot; build a robot. Tools drive how your organization works. Process - Be willing to revisit and change your processes as you go. Which aspect of Bryan’s three ingredients resonates the most with you? Make sure to catch my full conversation with Bryan as he expands on these three ingredients and much more. The advantages of a distributed company. What is your knee-jerk reaction when you think of a distributed company? Do you have a positive impression or a negative one? Don’t assume you know all of the relevant information, get it from the source! One of the unique advantages of a distributed company is the limitless opportunities it provides when seeking talent. You don’t have to limit your talent search to those in your geographical area; you can choose from qualified candidates all over the world. Connected to this unique advantage is another advantage - diversified points of view. With a distributed company, you have the opportunity to get a global perspective that can give you an advantage over your competition. The challenges of a distributed company. While it might seem like there are only positives, the reality is there are a good number of challenges that arise from operating a distributed company. One key aspect is pretty obvious, you don’t get to look your peers, employees, and supervisors in the eye - this can lead to a whole host of challenges. People who tend to view their workplace as a key aspect of their social life would find working for a distributed company challenging. Clear communication can also be a barrier for many individuals as well - what may come off as curt and obtuse in an email might not be what the sender had in mind. These challenges may prove too overwhelming for some, but the evidence shows that many people find the freedom and flexibility of working remotely are too good to pass up. Get even more insights into how a distributed company operates by listening to this episode of SimpleLeadership with Bryan Helmig! Resources & People Mentioned Zapier Manager Tools Podcast Elastic Mozilla Y Combinator GitHub Slack Wistia Connect with Bryan Helmig Bryan on LinkedIn Bryan on Twiter Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick   Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

There’s good news for all you tech leaders who feel you got thrown into management without much preparation - leadership can be learned. My guests on this episode of SimpleLeadership are Johnathan and Melissa Nightingale, the founders of Raw Signal Group - a company with a simple promise, “We Build Better Bosses.” They are also best-selling authors of the book, “How F*cked Up Is Your Management?: An Uncomfortable Conversation About Modern Leadership.” I can't think of two people better suited to talk to about the challenges of tech leadership. Prior to founding Raw Signal Group, Johnathan and Melissa were both tech execs who spent their careers running large parts of companies (product, engineering, data, design, marketing, PR, etc.). It’s honestly hard to find a role that one of them has not taken on. Through their work with Raw Signal Group, they've helped thousands of leaders understand their roles, build their skills, and be better bosses. Join us for this great conversation and learn how great leadership can be learned. Outline of This Episode [1:50] The winding path that brought Johnathan and Melissa to their current roles [7:18] Leadership skills can be learned across disciplines [13:19] The point Johnathan and Melissa realized a gap existed in tech leadership [16:56] What are the mistakes that happen over and over in tech leadership? [24:35] The most important thing for new managers to focus on the first 90 days [36:00] Leadership is not about good intentions [40:40] How can managers contribute more to family planning and maternity leave issues? [43:15] How Raw Signal Group can build better bosses for tech companies The same management leadership issues exist across disciplines and industries There is a strange belief that exists among those who are in tech management roles - they think that leading engineers is somehow different than what other leaders within their organization deal with. It’s true that engineers can be a bit unique, but there is much more that can be learned from other leaders in different areas of your organization than you think. Even leaders in entirely different industries have something valuable to offer. Johnathan and Melissa speak to the issue by pointing out how significantly tech leaders can be helped when they learn to humbly approach others they see doing things well to simply ask for insight into how they do it. Listen to hear how they coach leaders to build cohorts of help within their own organizations, across departments. Have you identified the leadership skills you want to steal? When it comes to learning leadership skills, every leader needs to be on the lookout for the things the leaders around them do well. It’s one way you can see things in others you admire and develop a list of leadership qualities or skills that you want to improve in yourself. Melissa refers to it as the “leadership skills you want to steal.” But the truth is that you don’t really have to steal anything. Most leaders are eager to help others understand the things they do well. But it requires that you have the bravery to approach them to ask for help. There are no natural leaders. You can learn good leadership We’ve all heard someone described as a “natural born leader.” While we understand what is meant by the phrase, Johnathan and Melissa push back against the notion that some people are born with the skills needed to be leaders and others are not. Even casual observation proves it not to be true. None of us naturally know the critical skill of leading teams, having effective one on ones, conducting effective meetings, or firing someone. If that’s the case, then how did those who do those things well get that way? They learned the skill over time. Melissa and Johnathan developed their company, Raw Signal Group after years of observing the terrible leadership practices being carried out in the tech industry. They felt that not only did they have a responsibility to ensure that their personal leadership was not guilty of the same abuses they saw going on around them, but that they also had an obligation to help solve the problem industry-wide. You’ll enjoy hearing their frank perspective on how leadership can be learned, why it’s important to grow as a leader, and how anyone can do it. Leadership is not about good intentions We’ve all done it. We misspeak or forget to respond in a way that is sensitive to the diverse people and backgrounds in the room. And when we’re told how we hurt someone, we often say, “But that was not my intent.” Johnathan says "intent" is something we fall back on as a defense when what we should be doing is accepting the correction, admitting our wrong, and committing to do better next time. When we say we didn’t “intend” to do what we did, we are attempting to avoid accountability. We all have to learn how to be better humans, people who care enough to learn how to communicate with more inclusiveness and more sensitivity toward others. Leaders especially. It's a big part of what makes for a team that gels well and becomes powerfully effective - and it starts with the leader. Learn how you can and should grow in this area, on this episode. Resources & People Mentioned Mozilla Firefox Edmodo Wattpad Susan Fowler’s catalytic blog post The Netflix Culture Statement The Parenting Playbook BOOK: So You Wanna Talk About Race? BOOK: The Art Of Gathering Connect with Johnathan and Melissa www.RawSignal.ca Johnathan on Twitter: @Johnath Melissa on Twitter: @shappy Raw Signal Group on Twitter: @RawSignalGroup BOOK: How F*cked Up Is Your Management? Sign up for the Raw Signal Group Newsletter: https://www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter Connect With Christian McCarrick and SimpleLeadership http://simpleleadership.io/ Christian on LinkedIn Christian on Twitter: @CMcCarrick Subscribe to SIMPLELEADERHIP onApple Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeart Radio

Steph is the Head of Publications at Toptal, a serial maker, and a supporter of women in technology.  Outside of leading a remote team of a few dozen, she is a self-taught developer that builds projects related to women in technology, remote work, and self-improvement.    She’s launched products that have hit #1 on Product Hunt, articles that have trended the top of Hacker News, and was nominated for Maker of the Year in 2018.  She actively supports women in technology by speaking about the psychology behind inclusion and through building resources like FeMake and is a judge for the Toptal Women’s Scholarship.   On today's episode we discuss some of the best practices for managing remote teams based on her recent blog post."Managing Remote Teams: A Psychological Perspective." Continue on for a great discussion with Steph.   Contact Info: Personal website: https://stephsmith.io Twitter: >?q=https://twitter.com/stephsmithio&source=gmail&ust=1554743123782000&usg=AFQjCNFW2gh0QlgMfBOjUSeqUQrZvcDJbw">https://twitter.com/stephsmithio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesmith93/     Show Notes:   Steph's Awesome Book List   Best Practices for Managing Remote Teams: A Psychological Perspective   Thanks for the Feedback    Radical Candor   Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions   Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success   The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)

Patrick has spent his career applying his engineering talents to the healthcare industry.  In that time he’s focused on learning and growing as an engineer, a teammate, team lead, and more recently as an engineering manager.  He considers himself a people gardener and coalition builder and believes in people-first leadership. Patrick loves teaching and tackling people and process opportunities to help teams and individuals grow. On today's show we discuss communication, psychology, having a growth mindset and his upcoming conference talk. Contact Info: twitter: patrickjpena medium: https://medium.com/@patrick.pena linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjpena/ Show Notes: Crucial Conversations The LeadDeveloper Conference Calibrate Conference BiFrost Conference San Francisco Engineering Leadership Community

Jason Wong is a proven engineering leader, diversity & inclusion consultant, and doughnut enthusiast. With almost two decades of experience in building and scaling web applications, he has worked in a range of industries from academia to online media and e-commerce. He helped establish web development and administrative computing at Columbia College, led development of premium video streaming services at Yahoo! Sports, and spent seven years at Etsy leading their Infrastructure Engineering team. He currently works with engineering leaders to improve their engineering management practices and establish inclusive cultures. Contact Info: JWong Works Website Twitter: https://twitter.com/attackgecko Show Notes: NCWIT Women in tech report Etsy’s recommended reading list for allies Why Women Leave Tech Maleallies.com Lara Hogan’s Ally Resources Geek Feminism – Feminism 101 Project Include