Lead Where You Are: Don’t wait until it’s too late

Leadership isn’t limited to management. While the Senior Executive’s role seems obvious, the most junior Individual Contributer’s role is just as important. Unfortunately, leadership is an often overlooked skill few actively develop, leaving most leaders to lead from a disadvantaged position. To avoid this, you must learn leadership lessons before you think you need them.

In today’s presentation, I’ll share the leadership lessons I learned as a junior enlisted sailor in the US Navy. The military is famously known for its rigid discipline and command structure, but it is still easy to find leadership opportunities and they are common even at it’s most junior levels. I will package these lessons for you to carry back to your daily life.

I will walk you through how I’ve applied these same lessons to my career in Data Science and Software Development. I hope you will learn how to translate these into your software, QA, or support career as well.

Finally, I will touch on my experience as a Manager. I will share how I provide my team similar opportunities to those I have had and how I encourage them to Lead Where They Are.

By the time you leave, I hope you will be motivated and equipped to take ownership by Leading Where You Are.