From Team Lead to CEO, Leadership Challenges and Growth | Alex Schladebeck

Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

CTO Series: From Team Lead to CEO, Leadership Challenges and Growth with Alex Schladebeck

In this BONUS episode, we hear from Alex Schladebeck, CEO and Quality Advocate at BREDEX GmbH. Alex shares her journey from testing and consultancy to becoming a CEO, offering valuable insights into agile leadership, the importance of communication, and the evolving landscape of technology and quality in software development.

The Power of Communication in Leadership

"Communication isn't just part of the work; it is the work."

Alex reflects on her career, emphasizing that her approach to leadership isn't defined by a single moment but by recurring patterns where communication played a crucial role. She shares how continuous conversation is vital for navigating changes and resolving conflicts, underscoring the importance of keeping communication channels open to manage the evolving demands of the tech industry.

"Effective leadership hinges on continuous conversations. Make communication the core of your leadership practice."

Aligning Tech Strategy with Business Goals

"We need to balance the excitement of new technology with what the customer truly needs."

Alex discusses the importance of aligning tech strategies with broader business objectives while maintaining agility. She shares her experience with implementing OKRs (Objective-Key Results) to bridge the gap between engineering teams and business leaders. By using short cycles for experimentation and decision-making, her team remains flexible and responsive to change without becoming reactive.

"Use OKRs and short cycles to keep your tech strategy aligned with business goals, ensuring adaptability without sacrificing focus."

Fostering Collaboration Between Tech and Business Units

"Stepping outside your own perspective is key to understanding what’s critical for both the business and the customer."

Collaboration between tech and business units is essential, and Alex highlights strategies that have helped her foster this collaboration. By encouraging teams to consider different perspectives, especially when making decisions that affect customers, Alex ensures that her team remains aligned with the business’s critical needs.

"Take different perspectives into account during decision-making to ensure alignment between tech and business objectives."

The Role of Experimentation in Roadmapping

"Little experiments can lead to big innovations if we collaborate with customers early on."

Alex shares her approach to roadmapping by incorporating small experiments to explore new ideas. These experiments often involve pilot projects with customers, allowing her team to test and iterate on new technologies before full-scale implementation. This method helps maintain a balance between stability in ongoing projects and innovation.

"Incorporate small experiments into your roadmap to innovate while maintaining stability in ongoing projects."

Overcoming Challenges in Leadership Transition

"Stepping up from a team lead to CEO is about learning to take responsibility and adapt."

One of the biggest challenges Alex faced was transitioning from a team lead to a CEO. With the guidance of her co-CEO and mentor, she learned to navigate this complex role without a clear guidebook, focusing on transparency, reflection, and adaptability as key leadership traits.

"Reflect on your decisions and be transparent with your team to navigate the challenges of leadership transitions."

Building Empathy Between Leaders and Teams

"Leaders are people too, and sharing our decision-making processes helps build trust."

Alex stresses the importance of creating empathy between leaders and their teams by being transparent about decision-making processes. She believes that while transparency doesn’t eliminate conflict or disappointment, it fosters a better understanding of the context behind decisions, helping teams to navigate challenges together.

"Build empathy by sharing your decision-making process, but be prepared for conflict—it’s part of leadership."

Embracing AI and Its Future Impact

Alex shares her perspective on the rise of AI and its potential to transform software and product development. While she recognizes the opportunities AI presents, she emphasizes the need to remain focused on human-centric development, ensuring that technology serves to enhance, rather than replace, the human element in quality and product development.

"As AI evolves, keep your focus on human-centric development to ensure technology enhances, rather than replaces, human contributions."

Measuring Success with Meaningful KPIs

"Numbers are useful, but context is crucial."

Alex discusses her cautious approach to KPIs, emphasizing that while metrics like the DORA metrics are valuable, they must be interpreted within the right context. She shares an example of how a clear KPI—reducing escalation meetings—helped turn around a troubled project by focusing on the underlying issues rather than just the numbers.

"Use KPIs to guide your decisions, but always consider the context behind the numbers to drive meaningful change."

Staying Updated and Informed

"I delegate much of the learning to my team, but I remain curious and engaged."

To stay current with industry trends and best practices, Alex relies on a flat organizational structure where team leads are empowered to stay updated. She also participates in conference watch parties, engages in Slack groups, and pairs with colleagues to learn new technologies firsthand, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

"Empower your team to stay informed, but stay curious and engaged in the learning process."

Influential Reads for Leadership

"We work with humans in socio-technical systems, and it's important to understand both the technical and human aspects."

Alex shares some of the books that have influenced her leadership approach, including "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk," "Radical Candor," and "Never Split the Difference." These books have helped her navigate the complex, human-centric aspects of leadership in technical environments.

"Combine technical know-how with human understanding—books like 'Radical Candor' offer valuable insights for leaders."

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About Alex Schladebeck Alex Schladebeck is the CEO and Quality Advocate at BREDEX GmbH. She is an agile leader with a passion for quality and human-centric development. With a rich background in testing, product ownership, and consultancy, Alex now focuses on strategy, team coaching, and customer communication. A frequent speaker at Agile events, she was named the Most Influential Agile Testing Professional Person in 2018. Outside of work, she enjoys sports, music, and exploring new cultures.

To learn more about Alex Schladebeck and follow her work, visit BREDEX GmbH and Schladebeck.de.

You can link with Alex Schladebeck on LinkedIn.