I just got a call from our new client that the product is failing! What the hell have you been doing?

Fotoburo Brabant/Ruben Schipper

During the Dutch System Architecting Conference in ‘s Hertogenbosch, High Tech Institute challenged visitors with a leadership game. Participants were asked for the best way to respond in critical work situations, by using the Rose of Leary theory of behavioral interaction. This challenge was a sneak peek for Jaco Friedrich’s training ”Leadership skills for architects and other technical leaders.”

Visitors participated enthusiastically in the leadership challenge, where Jaco Friedrich came up with situations like:

• Your project lead says with a loud voice: “I just got a call from our new client that the product is failing! What the hell have you been doing?”
• Your project lead says with strong, cold voice: “Either you do what I tell you, or your replacement will.”

People that take leadership seriously will give direction. They’ll look for opportunities to get others to buy-in. But, in order to get everyone on board, there are several positions within Leary’s ‘rose’ that will need to be utilized.

Participants were asked to step into the shoes of the employee and think of the best way to respond in order to improve the situation. It appeared that understanding the model as a theory is one thing. The practical application in real cases, as presented, is something else and created quiet some interesting discussions. Steven Anker, working at Sogeti High Tech, got the most anwers right and won the challenge.

Interested in our course program? Have a look at our online description.

High Tech Institute was one of the sponsors of the Dutch System Architecting Conference that was organized on 20 June, 2019 at the Verkadefabriek in ‘s Hertogenbosch.