Growing into Leadership

Pete Walen is not going to tell you how to be a good test manager. Instead, Pete shares ideas on becoming a true leader. While some managers certainly are leaders, testers of all varieties and experience levels can become leaders. Developing technical leadership skills, regardless of job title, involves overcoming our own uncertainties, self-doubts, and perceptions. Learning to foster relationships while perfecting our craft is a challenge for everyone, particularly when others look to us to be an expert—even when we don’t feel like one. Pete presents choices, options, and paths available to software professionals, including opportunities for self-education, networking, and other professional and technical development. He describes how he learned to apply these lessons in day-to-day work situations, building skills for himself and his co-workers. In this interactive discussion, Pete shares his mistakes and successes, what he learned from each, and what opportunities there are for you to grow as a leader in your own right.