Leadership Paradigms for Remote Agile Development: How To Lead Your Team Remotely

IntroductionIntroduction to the book, including outline of core competencies, structure, definitions andconcepts.
Chapter 1 - Remote work and the new normalHere we present the differences in leading an in-person team versus a remote team, detailinghow asynchronous work differs to other models, and discuss how the dawn of remote workemphasizes the importance of strong organization. The chapter lists concrete tools, frameworks and tips that leaders can adopt to make their company more "remote friendly".
Chapter 2 - LeadershipExplains why good leadership is so important and what the core competencies of a goodleaders are. That is, what a good leader should and should not do. The chapter then details the9 pillars of good leadership: shielding one's team, maintaining technical oversight andpresence, the problem of micromanagement, how to calibrate expectations, how to managedeadlines and how to prioritize features.
Chapter 3 - Hire the right peopleBegins by discussing why people matter and then explains why and how to hire the rightpeople, as well as why so many companies fail to do so. The chapter then dives into detailson the importance of experience, what makes for good and bad software engineers and theimpact of cognitive biases. The chapter finishes by discussing the cost of hiring and the costof bad engineers.
Chapter 4 - On breaking windows and writing codeThis chapter is all about job execution. That is, how to create an environment in whichengineers are able to give their best. The chapter begins by explaining the broken windowtheory (a well-known theory in sociology and criminology) and how it relates to software project management. The key message in the chapter is that, if you place good professionalsinto a dysfunctional environment, these professionals are most likely to contribute further toits decline. The chapter then details how to create and maintain well-functioning workingenvironments.
Chapter 5 - Feedback - How to ask, receive and act upon itThe objective of this chapter is to turn the reader into a better communicator. That is, itexplains why listening matters, how to become a better listener, and how to act on feedbackproduced in a highly dynamic environment.
Chapter 6 - The cost of changeThis chapter focuses on both the costs of changing and standing still. That is, it discusses howto strike a balance between meeting market demands, finding a product market fit (if notfound already), and engineering a good product. We look at this balance both at a macro-leveland a micro-level. That is, on one hand the company needs to be responsive to change andcannot become a massive oil tanker. And, on the other hand, we need to be able to determinewhat degrees of change are permissible at a product level as changes in direction impact theoverall codebase and architecture.
Chapter 7 - Managing expectationsHere we discuss unrealistic expectations, artificial deadlines, the cost of switching direction, the (hidden) complexities of developing software and the cost of rushing.
Chapter 8: Reduce bureaucracyThis chapter begins by discussing the impact of a heavy bureaucracy and how to reduce itwhilst still maintaining an audit trail. The chapter then details concrete steps and processesthat leaders can adopt to reduce paperwork and maximize productivity whilst at the sametime being able to vet and audit all decisions and actions taken.