Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about how to be a leader!

In this episode, Adam interviews Carol Palombini, a psychologist and leadership coach specializing in psychological safety. Carol offers insights on how fostering psychological safety can drive team innovation and what leaders can do to create safe, effective work environments.

Carol Palombini is a seasoned Psychologist and Tech Leadership Coach. Her passion lies in being a catalyst for transformation among tech leaders who face challenges such as communication issues, imposter syndrome, burnout, and the intricate demands of tech leadership roles.

Timestamps:

3:30 Assessing for a team's psychological safety.

8:06 Foster healthy conflict for innovation and team growth.

15:30 Create a psychologically safe environment by managing emotions.

19:08 Conduct exit interviews to uncover reasons for talent loss.

29:02 Reward and recognize behaviours that foster psychological safety.

Build your dream team with personalized solutions that actually get results. Book a complimentary 30-minute call with Carol.

Also, be sure to follow Carol on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

re:Work With Google | Archived Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about the five-step playbook!

In this episode, Adam dives into the challenges of transitioning from a technical leader to a strategic CTO, outlining a five-step playbook to help navigate this journey successfully. He also shares insights on overcoming common obstacles and embracing a leadership mindset.

Timestamps:

8:45 Make fewer decisions by delegating responsibilities.

12:33 Adopt a learning mindset for your new role.

18:47 Learn the language of the business to succeed.

27:35 Empower your team by stepping back from technical details.

Resources Mentioned:

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore | Book or Audiobook

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter | Book or Audiobook

Turn The Ship Around! by L. David Marquet | Book or Audiobook

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni | Book or Audiobook

The CTO Playbook episode on The 2 Most Critical Components of a CTO Career with Andy Skipper | Spotify or Apple

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about empathic, dynamic reteaming!

In this episode, Adam interviews Daniel Walters, a seasoned CTO coach and consultant. Daniel shares his experiences on leading change within organizations, focusing on collaboration, dynamic reteaming, and the emotional impact of restructuring.

Daniel Walters is a Technology Strategy Consultant and CTO coach based in Auckland, New Zealand. With over 25 years of experience in technology leadership across various sectors, he specializes in systems thinking, technology strategy, and situational leadership.

Daniel has held leadership roles, including CPTO at Weirdly and CTO/CIO at Seek Asia, and has consulted for notable organizations like Kiwi Rail and New Zealand Super Funds. While in Malaysia he successfully established a development centre for Experian Marketing Services. He was part of a small team at Prestariang that won a concession to replace Malaysia's immigration systems nationally (MYR8.6bn). He also helped integrate JobsDB and Jobstreet into Seek to successfully fend off global competitors whilst raising the quality of product experiences for candidates and hirers.

Daniel started his career in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia where he was part of Hitwise' leadership that oversaw growth and eventual sale (USD240m). His blog 'Great CTOs Focus on Outcomes' is dedicated to supporting CTOs' success.

Timestamps:

4:15 How to use empathy to lead change effectively.

10:05 Strategies for CTOs' to implement dynamic reteaming successfully.

15:22 Why internal hiring is crucial for fostering innovation.

20:48 Leveraging team identity to boost morale and performance.

26:11 The 90-day strategy for assessing organizational needs.

32:34 How to avoid common pitfalls in restructuring as a CTO.

39:19 Why empathy should drive your leadership decisions.

To get more tips check out Daniel's Blog: Great CTOs Focus on Outcomes on Substack and connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

Six Simple Rules by Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman | Book or Audiobook

Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais | Book or Audiobook

Domain-Driven Design by Eric Evans | Book

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.