Module Review: Leadership

Key Takeaways

Influence > Authority: Staff Engineers must lead by influence, not command. Rely on competence, trust, and empathy.
Currencies of Influence: Understand what stakeholders value (Task, Position, Inspiration) and trade in that currency.
Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: Mentors give advice; Sponsors give opportunity. You must earn sponsorship through performance, loyalty, and visibility.
Align on Strategy: Most “technical” disagreements are actually strategic or cultural misalignments.
Disagree and Commit: Active support for a decision you disagreed with is the hallmark of a mature leader.

Test your knowledge of the key concepts.

What is the difference between Mentorship and Sponsorship?

Mentorship is about advice (private). Sponsorship is about advocacy (public). Sponsors use their political capital to get you opportunities.

What are the 3 pillars of Influence?

Competence (Technical Credibility), Trust (Relational Credibility), and Empathy (Strategic Insight).

What does "Disagree and Commit" mean?

It means you may not agree with the decision, but you will fully support its execution and do everything in your power to make it succeed.

What is the "Power vs. Interest" Grid used for?

Stakeholder Mapping. It helps you prioritize who to Manage Closely, Keep Satisfied, Keep Informed, or Monitor.

What is the Sponsorship Formula?

Performance + Loyalty + Visibility = Sponsorship.

Situation	Strategy
Stakeholder is High Power / High Interest	Manage Closely. Involve them in decision making early.
Stakeholder is High Power / Low Interest	Keep Satisfied. Give high-level updates. Don’t bore them.
Need to align multiple teams	Write an RFC. Force async clarity before sync meetings.
Team is gridlocked on a decision	Disagree and Commit. Push for a decision, even if it’s not perfect.
You need to persuade a Product Manager	Use Task (Efficiency) or Position (Market success) currencies.
You want a promotion	Focus on Visibility. Ensure your sponsor sees your impact.