Elevate Your Team
Being a leader in engineering means helping your team become better, increasing their worth, and boosting their reputation in the industry.
It's About Achievements, Not Just Big Names
Not all impressive things on a resume are created equal. Some are impressive because they're associated with a well-known brand, while others stand out because they show that someone has solved big problems in the industry. The second type, even though it might not be as flashy, actually has a bigger impact. As a leader, your goal should be to guide your team to do things that make your company known for being excellent at engineering.
Making the Most of Alumni Networks
The value of a company's alumni network doesn't come from the size of the company or how much money it makes when it's sold. Take the companies Trilogy and Xtreme Labs as examples. They were medium-sized companies that never grew beyond a few hundred employees. Despite their size, they focused on helping people who were early in their careers, which resulted in active, beneficial communities of former employees.
The goal isn't just to create a strong network of former employees or to make your company's engineering team well-known. It's also about creating and taking advantage of opportunities while people are still working at your company.
Boosting Reputation Through Interaction
Good leaders encourage their engineers to talk directly with clients and with people from other companies. This means encouraging them to participate in things like customer calls, hackathons, public speaking opportunities, and activities that show their expertise, like writing blog posts. These experiences not only help them grow professionally, but also improve their performance.
As a leader in engineering, you should aim to:
- Earn the trust of former employees, and serve as a resource for their career goals.
- Encourage your team members to interact with customers directly.
- Aim to make your engineering team well-known.