growing into leadership
TRANSCRIPT
W5
Personal Excellence
10/15/2014 11:30:00 AM
Growing into Leadership
Presented by:
Peter Walen
Gordon Food Service
Brought to you by:
340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073 888-268-8770 ∙ 904-278-0524 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.sqe.com
Peter Walen
Gordon Food Service Pete Walen has been involved in software development for more than twenty-five years. Today, Pete is a Senior Software tester with Gordon Food Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working with the company’s quality groups and test teams to help them with testing and coaching them to improve their testing techniques and practices. He describes himself as a Software Anthropologist and Tester, examining how software and people relate and react to each other. Pete is a signer of the Agile Manifesto, a member of the American Society for Quality and The Association for Software Testing, and an active blogger on software testing at rhythmoftesting.blogspot.com. Follow Pete on Twitter @PeteWalen.
Growing Into Leadership
Pete Walen
Leadership
Management
What is it?
1. The action of leading a group of people or an organization
2. The state or position of being a leader
Technical Leaders May Not…
be “official” leaders
want to be “official” leaders
A Tester is someone who knows that things can be
Different --- Gerald M. Weinberg
Change won’t happen unless you are willing to
dare greatly
Feeling like you don’t fit in?
Looking for something even if you don’t know what that is?
Maybe it is because you know things can be different?
Formal training is only a START
Allow yourself to be curious then -
Follow your curiosity
I wonder what happens if…
You are responsible for your own training and craftsmanship.
Sources of Information and Ideas!
Web Forums
Blogs
Conferences
Books
Magazines
Print and e-zines!
Focus on learning your trade and craft
Seek out ideas new to you even if you aren’t sure how they
might apply right now
Who can help?
Writers Speakers
Co-workers Friends
Ask them to help you on your journey
Those helpers can become for you, mentors
Let them help illuminate your way…
Take the ideas and techniques you have read about and been curious about and TRY them!
“Nothing teaches like a burned hand.”
RUBBISH!
“Nothing teaches like doing the impossible.”
It takes courage to stretch and experiment –
Read about something that might help your project?
TRY IT!
The results can be Astounding!
What if your results are “less than optimal” the first time you try something?
Don’t let that stop you!
People you can be yourself with.
People you can bounce ideas against.
People you can confide in.
People you can trust.
You don’t need to be the smartest person or the one with all the
answers
By being yourself, and with patience, your network will grow.
Your Network may be able to help you find what you are really good at.
This may be something you like doing.
This may be discovered by doing something else.
The first time may be a little scary.
Keep Experimenting
Keep Learning!
Share what you have…
Learned
Discovered
Experienced
Share your…
Motivation
Organization
Ideas & Innovation
What about other people’s
Motivation
Organization
Ideas & Innovation
Share Your Time
Share Your Ideas
How?
Try Writing!
Team or Group Newsletters Blogs
Articles On-line & Print
But…
I’m not a writer!
Really? You don’t write anything?
EVER???
Share Your Ideas
How?
Try Speaking!
Lunch & Learns Local Tester Groups
Other Technology Groups Conferences
But…
I’m not a Speaker!
Really? You don’t speak with people?
EVER???
Each level of achievement opens more opportunities to
learn.
Each level of learning leads to new achievements.
Ask Yourself:
What do you hope to gain?
Do you want to be a leader?
What kind of leader do you want to be?
Weinberg, Gerald M. Becoming a Technical Leader: An Organic Problem-Solving
Approach. New York, Dorset House, 1986 http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Technical-Leader-Problem-Solving-
Approach/dp/0932633021#_
Bolton, Michael. Building Your Testing Reputation. ST&QA Magazine, February,
2011. http://www.softwaretestpro.com/Item/5083/Building-Your-Testing-
Reputation/Testing
Weinberg, Gerald M. Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method. New York, Dorset
House, 2006 http://www.amazon.com/Weinberg-Writing-Fieldstone-Gerald-
M/dp/093263365X
Deming, W Edwards. Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 2000
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Crisis-W-Edwards-Deming/dp/0262541157
Company Email: [email protected]
Personal Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeteWalen
Phone: 616-304-1004
Blog: rhythmoftesting.blogspot.com