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  3. Leading engineering teams

Leading engineering teams for new managers

Become an effective engineering leader

There are no formal leadership training and people skills when you embark on becoming a software engineer. Yet almost every job post for software engineers will not only ask you to have extensive knowledge of how to build complex software systems but will also require you to have strong interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with the customer and other team members. At a senior level, these skills are necessary to lead healthy and successful teams that are primed for growth.

There is strong demand for capable software engineering leaders everywhere from small start up companies to large scale well-established firms. And most of them not only want managers to meet and deliver outcomes, they want a leader who has the right set of skills to create a healthy team environment that enables growth and longevity.

Many assume leadership skills are innate. This is not true. Leadership consists of established best practices that can be learned by all.

This workshop will prepare you to lead with empathy and confidence, with the application of everyday leadership. You will learn a set of tools to put your new knowledge into practice immediately.

This workshop is most suited to new, current, and prospective engineering managers and team leads. If you have been managing for less than a couple of years, have a yearning to continuously improve, want to lead your team to the next level of effectiveness, contribute, and learn from like-minded people, this workshop is for you!

Blackmill's Engineering Leadership workshop was one of the best courses I've attended. While it contained general leadership and management learnings, the specific software engineering focus plus both Elle and Lachlan's industry experience was invaluable.

I also found that the teachings focused around empathy clearly aligned with my own values. Highly recommended for those just starting their tech leadership journey to seasoned leaders looking to sharpen their axe.

Charles Vallance, Software Engineering Manager, Sharesies

The benefits

  • Gain best industry practices in engineering leadership
  • Meet like minded people in the comfort of your own setting
  • Be exposed to actual issues and challenges that engineering managers face day to day
  • Gain better understanding of your leadership style
  • Be equipped with tools and skills to adapt and apply in various contexts
  • Enhance your career development
  • Become better and more confident leader

I recently attended the "Leading Engineering Teams" workshop by Blackmill and was pleasantly surprised by how much I gained from it. The workshop provided valuable insights into leading high-performing teams and exceeded my expectations.

The curriculum and instructors were top-notch. The workshop was highly interactive, with hands-on activities, group discussions, and case studies that encouraged active participation. By analysing real-world scenarios and collaborating with other participants, we were able to learn and network simultaneously.

I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to become a better engineering leader, both in terms of effectiveness and influence.

Ticiana de Andrade

Curriculum

Getting to know you

Before the workshop, we will schedule 30-minutes to learn more about you, your organisation, your team, and your goals.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Code of conduct

Like all our events, this workshop is covered by our code of conduct and joining us assumes your agreement to be bound by the code.

Join us, because thoughtful engineering practices lead to quality, stability, and effectiveness.

As a Software Engineer stepping into the world of technical leadership for the first time, I found Lachlan and Elle's workshop to be extremely valuable. Connecting with others in the industry gave me the opportunity to learn from real world examples, and there was a healthy balance of theoretical and technical content.

I'd recommend this workshop if you want to grow your team sustainably, and set them up for long term success.

Chris Nankervis

Blackmill training is the first time that I've undertaken formal leadership training in my career, and it blew me away in terms of the breadth, depth, and quality of the content that was covered in such a short space of time. It brought together all of the key points, tools, ideas, and mindsets that I had slowly experienced over the years, as well as introducing me to new frameworks and tools that will greatly enhance my leadership abilities. Elle and Lachlan facilitated the sessions in a guided insightful fashion that drew out excellent conversations, perspectives and insights from our cohort.

This workshop provides new leaders with the mindset, insights, and a practical toolkit to kick start their leadership journey with confidence, insightfulness, and empathy. For experienced leaders it provides a valuable overview of leadership, and plugs gaps that may exist or have formed in their leadership style. Reminding them of areas they may be neglecting and giving them insights they might not have had. It provides everyone with a modern well researched toolkit to act immediately with.

Susan Brander, Co-founder and CTO, Kaleida

The Leading Engineering Teams workshops run by Blackmill filled in gaps in my understanding of what it takes to be an effective, authentic, and confident leader.

Elle and Lachlan synthesised a range of management practices from a wide array of industry renowned thinkers, and delivered it in a structured and coherent way that became immediately applicable in my own context.

With their particular expertise and experience in the industry, along with their capacity to draw out thoughtful engagement from the cohort, we were given unique insights into our own management styles and the needs of our individual circumstances. I honestly could not recommend this series of workshops more highly to leaders, or aspiring leaders, within tech.

Jackson Bates, CTO, Grace Papers

I really enjoyed the workshop and found it invaluable. I liked the balance of theoretical, open discussion and practice via role play. Most importantly, it surfaced areas of my current role that I need to work on and opened up a new direction for learning. I have a clearer idea now how to do my job better.

Simon Del Fabbro, Project Lead, NQRY

Between jobs, I recently decided to take Blackmill's Leading Engineering Teams workshop. I'm glad I did.

There was much to engage in; the material is well-researched and is informed by extensive experience in the subject matter. It was packed with practical information any attendee could apply immediately and feel confident. Attendees come away with a wealth of resources, including links to excellent research and literature. Lachlan and Elle are specialists in the subject matter and are excellent presenters. They facilitated the workshop with intelligence and heart. Edward the cat made a few guest appearances, his feline charisma enhancing the learning experience.

For me, attending this program became an episode of deep, generative learning. I believe it was Homer Simpson who once said, "It works on so many levels". As someone who has worked in leadership positions for decades, I found myself reflecting and reordering the pieces of my leadership jigsaw puzzle, and even incorporated some brand new pieces. I believe the material will stay with me for some time to come and inform my ongoing growth as a leader. Sincerely, thank you.

Mark Ratjens, Software Development Leader

I finished the ‘Leading Engineering Teams’ crash course with Elle and Lachlan at Blackmill, and I learned heaps. So much info in four days 🤯.

It gave me language around concepts to explore further, combined with practical knowledge and immediately usable techniques that I’ll definitely use as a reference in my career. I’d highly recommend it to others who’ve started leading teams, or like me, are stepping into leadership.

Mark Cipolla, Senior Developer, Cogent

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