I got into computers to avoid people then they put me in charge of them!

About this episode

John Crickett interviews Robert Harris about the challenges of engineering leadership and the importance of understanding human systems in software development.

Coding Chats Episode 78 - John Crickett talks to Robert Harris, an experienced engineering leader. Robert shares hard-won lessons from years of leading software teams, drawing on a distinctive "human systems" lens to explain why so many engineering organisations struggle — not because of bad people, but because of broken systems, misaligned leadership, and invisible cultural forces. The conversation weaves together philosophy, practical management advice, and candid personal anecdotes, making it equally relevant for first-time engineering managers and seasoned CTOs. The central thread throughout is that software is fundamentally a human endeavour, and leaders who treat it like a purely technical one will keep running into the same problems. Chapters 0:00 — Every Problem is a Systems Problem 3:00 — Labelling vs. Diagnosing: The Human Systems Approach 6:15 — Poor Performance Is a System Failure, Not a People Failure 9:10 — AI, Flat Orgs, and the Pressure on Engineering Managers 11:30 — Diagnosing a Broken Team: A Real-World Turnaround 24:05 — People Are Not Interchangeable Components 26:00 — Culture: What Happens When Nobody's Watching 33:00 — The Power Gradient and…

People in this episode

Host: John Crickett

Guest: Robert Harris

Topics covered

• engineering leadership
• human systems
• software management
• organizational culture
• team performance
• remote teams

Keywords

• engineering teams
• management advice
• cultural forces
• AI in engineering
• team dynamics
• performance systems

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Coded2Lead, LinkedIn

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