- Encourage and support self-motivation within and outside your team
- Improve productivity and innovation with better leadership
- Inspire those around you to become their best
- Increase job satisfaction for your team and yourself
What is the difference between management and leadership? Are leaders born or made? If test managers can, in fact, develop leadership skills, how can you become a better—even a great—leader? Rick Craig, a colonel in the US Marine Corps Reserves, answers these questions and many more based on his experiences not only in the Marine Corps but also as a test manager and test consultant to companies around the world.
In this discussion-oriented workshop, you and your fellow students will explore with Rick what it means to be a leader. First, you’ll learn about the attributes of “natural” leaders and what it takes for managers to grow to become great leaders who empower their team and add significant value to their organization. Then, the class members will delve into the most pressing leadership issues and challenges that test managers face everyday. You’ll begin to identify the leadership traits you already possess and learn specific things you, as a test manager or lead, can do to improve your leadership skills and help your team grow and mature.
The class will begin with a brief discussion of leadership “theory”—common leadership traits, leadership style, developing trust, and leading by example. Then, Rick, you, and the other class members will explore situational leadership issues: how to gauge morale; the leader’s role as a coach, mentor, and trainer; how organizational structure and corporate culture affect leadership; leadership principles applied to software testing and development; the impact and importance of influential leaders; and more.
Rick encourages you to bring your most pressing people and organizational problems to examine during the class. Working together with Rick and your peers, you will discover new approaches to try and new perspectives to explore to address these issues. In addition to learning what it takes to improve your personal leadership skills, you’ll be able to take back specific action items to help your team improve their performance and individuals increase their job satisfaction.
This course is appropriate for test managers, test leads, potential test leads and managers, and anyone who is a student of leadership.
