Technical leaders can be defined as those who are experts in a particular specialty (e.g. engineering, nursing, medicine, finance, law, or accounting), and whose career paths have changed from a technical/individual contributor track to a management track. In many cases, they are promoted to management because of their success as individual contributors – partly as a reward for their history of good work and partly because it is assumed they will teach their direct reports to be as gifted as they are at their technical specialty.

In such situations, it does not take long for problems to arise with newly appointed managers. Direct reports often claim that the new manager is a “micro manager” and they cannot do their work well enough to earn his or her praise. Peers may complain that the new manager is condescending, doesn’t listen, or jumps to false conclusions. Most damaging is when the new manager does not think anything is wrong and dismisses the feedback from his or her colleagues. Left unchecked, these situations often lead to the boss deciding that the “collateral damage” created by these new managers is too great and they are returned to their individual contributor role, ego and reputation badly damaged.

These kinds of situations are entirely avoidable, and this presentation looks at how to identify good candidates for technical leadership, how to spot individuals who are less likely to succeed, and how to work with existing technical leaders to maximize their chances for success.

This audio conference covers:

• The Evaluation: Who should you invest in for leadership growth?
• The Science: Neuroscience explains the mind of those attracted to technical fields
• The Psychology: Assessments help you define styles and motivation
• The Success: Building a team of great leaders in technical fields

About the speaker:

Leigh Bailey, MA brings a mix of business acumen and leadership expertise to his coaching style. He is a great listener and skilled at asking thought-provoking questions. At the same time, he is willing to offer the knowledge he has gained from coaching leaders for more than 20 years. His clients value his ability to understand their business situation, broaden their perspective and hold them accountable to their commitments and goals.

As founder and CEO of The Bailey Group, Leigh works with executive-level leaders and leadership teams. Through executive coaching, team building, strategic planning and consulting, Leigh has helped hundreds of leaders and teams reach their highest potential and achieve their business outcomes since 1989. His industry experience includes banking, financial services, insurance, advertising and marketing, health care, medical technology, law firms and distribution services.

Who should attend?

• Group or division VPs responsible for identifying and retaining talent within their organization
• HR/organizational development/leadership development VPs, directors, and managers responsible for developing talent within their organization
• Recruiting/selection directors and managers responsible for selecting technical talent with high potential for leadership succession