011 - Leadership is about letting go.

011 - Leadership is about letting go.

🎙️ What happens when two technical experts become leaders? For Episode 11 of Tech Voices on Leadership, we had 2 special guests Simon Robert [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#] and Dakota Seufert-Snow [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#]. Simon is President at Novbox [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#], leading a successful business in Canada and United States, while Dakota is an experienced leader and podcaster, hosting The Bearded I.T. Dad [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#]. The session was recorded in Vegas in person at Cisco Live. Thank you Cisco Insider [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#] for the recording studio. We explored what it really takes to move from solving technical problems to leading people. One message stood out throughout the conversation: Leadership is about letting go. As technical professionals, we're used to fixing every problem ourselves. But becoming a leader means trusting others, delegating responsibility, and accepting that your success is measured by your team, not by how many problems you solve personally. We also talked about: 🔷 Why hiring for attitude is often more important than hiring for technical skills. 🔷How mistakes should become learning opportunities, not reasons for blame. 🔷Building a culture where people feel safe to ask for help instead of struggling in silence. 🔷Why being yourself is one of the most important leadership qualities. 🔷The challenge of balancing work, family, and taking care of yourself as a leader. One quote that stayed with me was the reminder that you don't need to be the superhero anymore. Your job is to help your team become successful. It was an honest conversation full of practical leadership lessons that apply far beyond the IT industry. #tech #leadership #TVOL

010 - Zoë's journey into Leadership

What if becoming a better leader starts with understanding why people don't think like you do? In this episode of Tech Voices on Leadership, we welcomed our first guest, Zoë Rose, to share her journey from hiding in server rooms to leading large Security Operations teams. Zoë openly shares how childhood trauma, feeling different, and struggling to understand social expectations shaped both her career and her leadership style. What many colleagues perceived as being cold or uncaring was in reality someone trying to navigate a world of unwritten rules. Some of the topics we explored: 🔹 Why feedback should be tailored to the individual receiving it 🔹 How managers can unintentionally hold teams back by solving problems themselves 🔹 Situational leadership and empowering people to surpass their leaders 🔹 Self-leadership, impostor syndrome, and understanding what environments allow you to succeed 🔹 The importance of grieving plans that never happened and giving yourself permission to adapt to a new reality 🔹 Why comparing yourself to others is dangerous when you only see their highlights and not their struggles One quote that stayed with us: "You have to be in the right position for you." Leadership is not only about helping others grow. It is also about learning to understand yourself, communicating in ways others can receive, accepting your limitations, and realizing that sometimes a good role, a good company, or even a good manager simply may not be the right fit for you. #tech #leadership #TVOL

009 - Extreme Ownership

🎙️ What separates good professionals from the ones everyone remembers? In Episode 9 of Tech Voices on Leadership, we explore the concept of Extreme Ownership, inspired by the idea that leadership starts by taking responsibility, even when it would be easier to blame circumstances, processes, or other people. We discuss: 🔹 The difference between being responsible and truly taking ownership 🔹 Why ownership cannot be assigned, as it comes from within 🔹 How great leaders focus on improving systems instead of finding someone to blame 🔹 The role of clear communication, expectations, and accountability 🔹 Why the people who consistently go the extra mile often get the most interesting opportunities and growth One of the key takeaways from the conversation: 👉 You can assign accountability, but you cannot assign ownership. Ownership is what happens when someone sees a problem and decides to solve it—even when it's not explicitly their responsibility. It's a mindset that can transform teams, careers, and organizations.

008 - Tiny Actions. Massive Long-Term Impact

Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a month… and underestimate what they can achieve in a few years. In tech, leadership, fitness, relationships, or learning, the biggest transformations rarely happen overnight.They happen through small actions repeated consistently. ✅A few pages read every day. ✅A small lab after work. ✅One honest conversation. ✅One extra step toward discipline instead of comfort. The challenge is that compounding is invisible in the beginning. No instant gratification. No dramatic results. But over time? Those tiny actions become expertise, trust, confidence, health, and opportunities. In our newest episode, we discuss: ✅ The compounding effect of habits ✅ Why discipline matters more than motivation ✅ Delayed gratification in learning and leadership ✅How small daily actions shape long-term success

007 - The Emotionally Intelligent Leader

One of the biggest shifts from technical expert to leader is realizing that leadership is not only about expertise. It is also about emotions. In this episode of Tech Voices on Leadership, we discuss:✅ why great leaders pause before reacting,✅ how empathy builds trust✅ and why emotional intelligence often matters more than technical skill in difficult situations. One point stood out clearly: You cannot lead others well if you cannot lead yourself. Small habits like listening first, delaying emotional reactions, and understanding frustration instead of becoming defensive can completely change the outcome of conversations - with both teams and customers. Emotional intelligence is not about being soft. It is about being intentional. If you are leading people, building your career, or trying to create more influence in your organization - this episode is for you.