Ep. 20: The rude awakening of engineering management with Ron Lichty

In today’s episode, Asim sits down with Ron Lichty to discuss the rude awakening of engineering management. Ron is a software engineering leader and product development consultant with a passion for making software developers and leaders thrive. They break down ways managers and aspiring managers can make engineering leadership predictable and reliable.

[00:38] Introduction

[02:07] Ron’s Back and Forth Movement from Engineering to Management

[07:03] Misconceptions About Engineering Management

[10:28] How to Feel Accomplished as a Manager

[11:32] Why Conflict is a Necessary Part of Management

[13:00] Good Managers are Not the Smartest People in the Room

[17:45] Learning How to Delegate

[20:46] How to Overcome the Fear of Delegation

[22:03] Recruiting and Why It’s the Most Important Role of a Manager

[26:15] The Role of Mentors in Becoming a Better Manager

[29:50] Parting Thoughts

How to Succeed as a Software Engineering Manager

Like in most industries, engineering managers are often promoted because they are good at software development. However, being a great manager is not the same as being a great engineer. The latter requires a drastic change of focus and a completely different way of doing things. So, if you would like to become a leader in engineering, there is a set of expectations to consider before making that leap into the deep end. The best management practice you can learn is to put together a team of people who can work together toward a shared vision. This means not necessarily being the smartest person in the room and learning how to delegate.

Links and Resources:

Ron’s LinkedIn

Ronlichty.com

Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools, and Insights for Managing Software People and Teams by Mickey Mantle and Ron Lichty