S5E20 Francis Lacoste | Vulnerability, Psychological Safety, & Befriending Uncertainty

Being an Engineer · 17 May 2024 · 50m · Episode 20

What this episode covers

Francis Lacoste, a VPE and CTO coach, discusses strategies for balancing product development with organizational growth when scaling engineering teams quickly. He emphasizes that maintaining high performance requires both vertical accountability (clear mission) and horizontal psychological safety, which is built through vulnerability-based trust exercises like sharing defining life moments. Lacoste also shares techniques for leaders to manage the 'inner game' of leadership, specifically using mindfulness practices to befriend uncertainty and anxiety rather than fighting them.

Mentioned

Companies
Pipeline Design & Engineering, Heroku, Salesforce
Products
Ubuntu Linux
Also
Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Shinzen Young, theVPE.coach

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