Tech World Human Skills

Most technical people get promoted because they're the best at the job. Then they spend the next 18 months quietly struggling. Nobody told them it is a completely different job. Malcolm Murphy has spent his career in technical pre-sales, leading solutions consultant teams across major vendor organisations. His view is blunt: the skills that got you promoted will actively hold you back as a manager.

What you'll learn:

Identify the three distinct buckets every new tech leader must manage from day one

Build a proactive hiring bench before you even have a role to fill

Set clear performance expectations without fearing the conversation

Delegate outcomes instead of activities to unlock your team's performance

Develop your people in a way that drives retention more than any salary increase

About Malcolm Murphy: Malcolm Murphy has spent the majority of his career in technical pre-sales, moving from UNIX engineer to leading solutions consultant teams across major vendor organisations. He currently specialises in insider risk and human risk management at Mimecast and runs the Pre-Sales Leaders Forum community in the UK.

Episode highlights:

[approx. 5 min mark] Malcolm breaks down the three buckets every new manager must own: people, business, and company leadership

[approx. 17 min mark] Why hiring is not something you do alongside your job. It is your job. How to build a proactive bench before headcount opens up

[approx. 36 min mark] The micromanagement trap and why your personal blueprint for success might be the worst thing you impose on your team

Connect with Malcolm: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/Malcolm-Murphy

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Tech World Human Skills is the podcast for technical professionals who want to communicate, influence, and lead at the highest level.

In this episode, Ben Pearce and Panos Malakoudis discuss the evolving landscape of leadership in the age of AI. They explore the five essential human competencies that modern leaders need: Insight, Integration, Inspiration, Integrity, and Impact.



Panos Malakoudis runs his own company - Citium Solutions. He spent many years leading Consultancy and Engineering teams at Microsoft. Then he led coaching programs for the Microsoft leadership community and even got a Guinness World Record for it.



Show Links

Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/

Tech World Human Skills Home - https://www.techworldhumanskills.com

Panos Malakoudis Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmalakoudis/

Citium Solutions - https://www.citiumsolutions.co.uk/

Panos Forbes Page- https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/people/panosmalakoudis/



Takeaways

Leadership is changing due to rapid technological advancements.

Empathy has become a crucial competency for leaders post-COVID.

95% of AI pilots fail due to lack of insight and connection to business needs.

Leaders must integrate technology into their decision-making processes.

Inspiration is key to managing change and addressing team fears.

Integrity involves understanding the ethical implications of AI usage.

Measuring impact is essential for assessing the success of AI initiatives.

Leaders should create a culture of experimentation and support.

The fear of becoming obsolete (phobo) affects both leaders and teams.

The five competencies are not new but need to be reframed for today's challenges.



Keywords

leadership, modern leadership, human competencies, AI, coaching, change management, integrity, impact, technology integration, inspiration

In this episode Ben Pearce and Nic Neate discuss what it's really like to build and be part of an AI native engineering team. Nic shares his experiences and insights on how AI is fundamentally changing the way software is developed, the skills required for engineers in this new landscape, and the challenges organizations face in adapting to these changes.



Nic Neate is the CTO of @Nimbus. He has many years working in the software world and previously worked at Metaswitch and Microsoft.



Show Links

Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/

Tech World Human Skills Home - https://www.techworldhumanskills.com

Nic Neate Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-neate-b3515210/

Nimbus - https://www.nimbusmaps.co.uk/





Takeaways

AI is fundamentally changing software engineering.

Vibe coding is using AI to write code.

AI native means riding the wave of AI tooling.

Being AI native enables you to do so much more.

AI can do it in 10 minutes what you could do in a week.

Context engineering is a key skill for engineers.

Decision making is crucial in an AI native world.

You need to invest in your tool chain.

Recruitment processes need to change for AI roles.

Maximize value for people working in AI.



Keywords

AI native engineering, software development, generative AI, engineering teams, AI tools, context engineering, software productivity, AI integration, engineering leadership, tech transformation

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast, Ben Pearce and Richard Baker discuss the critical topic of managing major incidents in the tech industry. They explore the importance of preparation, communication, and the human element in crisis management. Richard shares real-life experiences and insights on how to effectively lead teams through high-pressure situations.



Richard Baker is the CIO of TWC IT Solutions. He has years of working in the tech world and many battle scars from leading teams through major incidents.



Show Links

Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/

Tech World Human Skills Home - https://www.techworldhumanskills.com

TWC IT Solutions Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/company/twc-support

Richard Baker Email - [email protected]

TWC IT Solutions - https://twc-it-solutions.com/



Takeaways



The most important part of any business is the team.

Companies should practice incident response like fire drills.

Keeping calm during a crisis leads to better decision-making.

Effective communication with leadership is crucial during incidents.

Preparation is key to managing major incidents successfully.

Understanding the scope of the problem is essential for resolution.

Building trust with clients enhances collaboration during crises.

Post-incident analysis helps prevent future issues.

Regular updates to clients reduce anxiety during incidents.

A good relationship with clients is vital for effective incident management.





Keywords



incident management, crisis management, cybersecurity, communication, preparation, leadership, client trust, human skills, tech solutions, business continuity

Leading through change isn't about sending a broadcast email and hoping for the best. In this episode, Ben Caird breaks down why most change initiatives fail and shares the ADKAR framework that actually gets teams moving in the same direction.



Ben Caird is a seasoned professional leader. He's led teams of all sizes in a variety of tech companies and has years of experience.



Show Links

Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts/

Tech World Human Skills Home - https://www.techworldhumanskills.com

Ben Caird Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bcaird/



Keywords



change management, leadership, adkar framework, stakeholder buy-in, team transformation, organizational change, effective communication, awareness and desire, change resistance, business impact



Takeaways



If you're not driving change, you're probably not leading.

The ADKAR model is a great way to think about driving change.

People resist change by default - you need to create genuine desire, not just awareness.

Starting with "how to change" before explaining "why change" is where most initiatives fail.

Effective change takes time with the right people; efficient change just broadcasts instructions that nobody follows.

Change champions who are peers often influence adoption more than senior leaders telling people what to do.

You get what you inspect - measuring adoption by team creates healthy accountability.

The right executive sponsor can unblock resistance and hold stakeholders accountable when you can't.

Sometimes you need to build a pilot and prove value before you can get widespread buy-in.

Not every change battle is worth fighting - if you can't get past awareness and desire, question whether it's the right idea.