Leading Software Development Teams in Uncertain Times

This presentation examines the global effects that force us to reason differently about how we organize and lead people and projects. It discusses valuable skills for leaders in this new climate, especially leaders in software development teams.

In the current world, we face endless possibilities to build for a new reality, while simultaneously experiencing global uncertainty and volatility. With an ongoing war in Ukraine, skyrocketing electricity prices, rising inflation, and an uncertain financial climate, the question on everyone’s lips is – how do we make the most of what we have? How do we take the initiative and thrive rather than just survive?

The answer might be closer than we think. This period can see software development teams truly move from a support function to a strategic advantage for our business. We are standing in front of a paradigm shift where we see a possibility to let our project teams go beyond pure product delivery. To realize the full potential of our teams, we first need to reshape leadership. Practically this means building trust, leading with context, and moving from output driven to outcome-driven work. However, the real change is in the team culture and how we view work – what can we do to create products our customers love?

To thrive, we need to maximize our chances of building the right things, which means both working, thinking, and leading differently; by doing this, we can realize the full potential of our teams and create better products with the people at hand.

Video producer: https://oredev.org/