Many agile folks have been talking about the dynamics and need for T-shaped skills when it comes to their agile teams. My colleague, Mary Thorn, has been a proponent, coach, and explainer of the notion for many years.
And, Kenny Rubin wrote a short and effective explanation in 2012 that you can find here - https://www.scrumexpert.com/knowledge/t-shaped-skills-and-swarming-make-for-flexible-scrum-and-agile-teams/
But, What about Leadership?
But rarely do we talk about T-shaped skills from leadership (or leadership team) perspective. So, I thought I’d spend a little time exploring what T-shaped leadership skills might look like…
T-Shaped Leadership Skills
A Breadth of Technical Skills
I hate to break the news to you, but if you have a software development background and consider that your core competency as a leader, it’s no longer good enough. Most leaders in software contexts need to understand all aspects of the pipeline—UX, design, architecture, coding, testing, and DevOps.
And not just understand them academically. For example, I think most architects and coders/developers should fully understand the craft of software testing. Many “think” they do, but I’m talking about a depth that they rarely have operated within. Point being, you should have worked in many of these areas before you can effectively lead folks who are doing this work.
T-shaped leaders continually focus on broadening their experience and understanding across all aspects of their organizational value streams.
Teamwork
One of my favorite books is 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni. In it and his follow-up book The Advantage, he explores the notion of a “first team” in organizational teamwork. It turns out that your first team is NOT the vertical team reporting to you. It is your horizontal, peer-led group that is your first team of responsibility.
Given this, leaders need to focus on peer-level collaboration, alignment, and teamwork first. Holding their peers accountable to their cultural agreements. Helping them when they need it. Thinking far more cross-functionally when crafting organizational strategies and fully understanding the capabilities of their organizational peers.
T-shaped leaders fully understand that their first loyalty is to their peers, silo-busting wherever possible and working across their entire first team.
Communication
I’m going to say it this way, even if it offends some folks. Most leaders suck at effective communications. And the impact is exacerbated because most think they are great communicators.
But effective, no extraordinary, communications skills are what’s needed when transforming organizations, cultures, and mindsets. This is communication at a one-on-one level, group level, and organizational level. One thing I think that exemplifies the right communication style is becoming a great storyteller. Leveraging storytelling as a means of communicating your why, goals, and strategy.
T-shaped leaders are exemplary communicators and storytellers. And there is an “ask me anything” style to their transparency and openness.
Culture-shaping
It starts with psychological safety and trust. How are you extending that in your organization? One example of this is modeling the behavior yourself. Do you naturally create a safe space for your teams to learn and grow? Do you model trust amongst your peers in the organization and they to you?
There’s a quote I’ve got that culture is – the space between the behaviors that the leaders reward and the behaviors that they tolerate. In between those two end-points lies…culture.
The point here is that leaders set the culture with their own behavior, how they show up, and what and how they role model. T-shaped leaders are adept at framing and setting healthy cultures.
Mentoring
Another aspect of your role is to teach others. It’s no longer enough for you to be brilliant in your own right. That’s become table-stakes. Now you must teach others to be as brilliant or more so than you.
That means you have to become a 360-degree mentor in your company. Willingly sharing everything you know and continuously developing others. And as a motivation, remember that in teaching others you are learning and strengthening yourself in the bargain. In my experience, I receive much more than I give when I’m mentoring others.
And, as a by-product, the organization gets stronger. T-shaped leaders adopt a freely giving mentoring style to all levels of their organizations.
Hiring for Diversity
Diversity is the new measure of high-performing teams. I was chatting with Josh Anderson on one of our Meta-casts the other day and we were discussing the need for technical diversity in teams. For example, not being degree biased. Or ever technology stack biased.
And of course, there is gender and racial diversity to consider. But diversity is so much larger than that. You’ll want to think about generational/age, geographical, socio-economic, neuro, and cultural for example as other diversity factors.
Some of the most effective teams, the ones who are creative and innovative in their problem-solving and solutioning, are the most diverse. And T-shaped leaders strive to create and inspire diversity at all levels within their organizations.
Wrapping Up
To be honest, when I first thought of this idea I wasn’t sure that T-shaped skills mapped very well to leaders and leadership skills. That being said, as I wrote, it became clear that it’s incredibly relevant and important.
And why shouldn’t leaders be treated the same as their teams? With expectations for them to grow deep and broad in their skills and competencies?
I only listed six areas in this article. I’d love to see what other T-shaped areas Y’all can come up with, so please offer those ideas via comments.
Stay agile my friends,
Bob.