Leadership Stacks

In the days when networking events in-person were a thing, I attended a meet-up of cloud developers on a wintery Madison evening. “What tech stack do you use?” This jarring conversation starter from the young Python developer munching on appetizers was the same question I would get three times at this technology networking event.

Leaders have ‘stacks’ too – tools and processes that support their goals

In developer speak, a ‘tech stack’ is the combination of tools used to complete work. The ‘stack’ addresses everyday software development needs – for example, writing/testing/deploying/versioning code, delivering software revisions. Some developers are very passionate about their stack since it represents a comfortable and effective work process.

On this particular evening, the “What stack?” question preceded small talk. In one case – when my response so underwhelmed the developer – my answer was both the beginning & end of the conversation. (Oh well, can’t win them all.)

Recently, I revisited the idea of ‘stacks’ when thinking about my leadership tools. Just like developer teams have a stack to make them efficient, leaders also have our stacks. When I began to document my stack, I noticed gaps in some key areas and a lack of system orchestration.

Gaps

Some areas of my leadership stack have useful tools & processes (aside: the best technology doesn’t make a difference if you don’t have a supportive process). My task capture/management is well developed and feeds various downstream processes (follow-ups, 1-on-1s), freeing me from relying on my memory, multiple to-do lists, and scraps of paper. 

Other areas of my stack have gaps. My processes for capturing & sharing insights from articles and books is haphazard and inconsistent. Though I use Reeder to collect a diverse set of blogs/news/articles and Instapaper to capture some interesting ones, I do not have a process that matches those documents to projects or to share with friends and colleagues.

System Orchestration

Historically, I have thought of my tools in isolation; task management is independent of collaboration tools. By managing my tools in isolation, I am missing out on connections between systems.

Where I’m going next

I sketched out my leadership stack and some of the associated processes and am now on the hunt to address my gaps.

Questions

• What are the goals of your leadership stack – what outcomes are you seeking?
• What processes support those goals? What tools help those processes?
• What is in your current leadership stack? Those tools and processes that make you an effective leader.
• Where are there tool gaps or process gaps in your stack?

Copyright 2020 Matthew Pavlik