Tech Executive Alignment

In another effort to open the kimono, here is another key part of effective executive coaching. Many tech leaders find it hard to decide what behaviors they should be working on personally. One diagnostic measure that is effective in helping them realize what their “defaults” are and what to focus on to grow as leaders is this focus/autonomy. Where are you placed here, and what does that suggest for your personal growth goals?

Special offer: VPE/CTO? Life’s too short to lead an average team. Be the leader your team deserves! Join these live sessions to provide you with the experience boost you need.

The above figure, taken from my book Capitalizing Your Technology, considers two aspects of leadership. One is the leader’s focus. I’m not talking about how good you are at holding off on checking Twitter and finishing that task. This is about a high-level focus on achieving business goals, things that move that needle and that your CEO cares about. We’ve all seen people who were focused on the wrong things, and this misalignment means whatever you do, even well, is just not likely to be the right thing.

The second aspect is your autonomy. Consider whether you need to be told what to do (lowest autonomy), you come up with your own ideas and kickstart company shifts (highest autonomy), or something in between (like taking the initiative on different projects based on the company’s strategy). You might need to improve in one or both. Let’s see how you can find out.

Leave a Comment