How to Build Influence as an Engineering Leader | Kelly Vaughn

Dev Interrupted

This week, host Conor Bronsdon welcomes back Kelly Vaughn, Director of Engineering at Spot AI, to talk about building influence as an engineering leader. Kelly shares insights on the importance of leadership skills for both individual contributor and managerial roles and outlines her three pillars of trust, communication, and empowerment.
Conor and Kelly discuss strategies for staying technically fresh despite moving up in management, exploring the balance between staying close to product development and avoiding micromanagement. Lastly, they touch on the potential of AR/VR technology, with a focus on the business implications of Apple's Vision Pro and the future of immersive experiences.
Episode Highlights:
01:09 How should engineering leaders think about building influence?
03:53 The impact of changing roles or companies on your performance
08:07 Why you lose important context when making assumptions
09:32 How ICs can help manage their team
10:49 Key ways to build influence and trust
16:00 How important is trust when giving or recieving feedback?
22:27 How do leaders stay close to their product as their org grows?
28:58 Our thoughts on Apple Vision Pro and AR VR in general
Show Notes:

• Kelly Vaughn
• Lessons in Engineering Leadership | Kelly Vaughn | Substack
• Spot AI: Video Intelligence for Better Decision-Making
• Radical Candor | Feedback Training, Coaching & Consulting

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