Moving the Masses: Leadership for The Average Joe

There are a lot of “Average Joe” developers out there going through the daily motions of clocking in and out each day... maybe you’re one of the them. Some may wonder how they can take their work to the next level, but don’t have the knowledge to do so. This keynote, guided by Brian Thompson, a once Average Joe himself, is dedicated to providing developers with the guidance needed to become an effective leader. Using his personal career journey as an example, he will walk developers through his leadership mantra, AMP--Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose--and describe how it helped transform him from an intern into a Lead Software Engineer at an award winning digital agency, Mindgrub.

A team as small as one person will be able to take important concepts from the keynote into daily life application, including the importance of recognizing your first few followers as equals rather than lessers.

Participants will be guided through the process of discovering their own leadership style—even how introverts can harness their own skills to take on leadership roles. They will learn from the proven 3 Ps of team motivation—People, Process, and Product—and how you should apply them to make your team more effective and efficient. Along the way, we’ll discuss specific examples of why these principles matter. We’ll conclude with the most important role a leader has in managing a team, a key duty that will help get the best out of their team, yet many unwittingly forget about: the ability to inspire.

Upon leaving Drupalcon, attendees will have actionable items they can start to implement immediately in their own lives. They’ll understand the qualities of a good leader, and also the features of a bad one. Discussion will center around what characteristics leaders should avoid, how to take responsibility for bad leadership, and how to turn those traits around and pull your team back together. Regardless of leading style, whether an introvert or an extrovert, attendees will leave motivated and ready to better themselves and lead a team.