You've got a great idea for a tech talk, but your submissions keep getting rejected. The problem is (in most cases) not your topic—it's how you're representing it in your abstract. After reviewing thousands of talk abstracts during Calls for Papers (CfPs) as a program committee member and getting 60+ of my own talks accepted at conferences worldwide, I've seen the same patterns over and over again. In this post, I’ll share with you how to write a great abstract with writing tips and examples.

In our work as engineering leaders, there aren't a lot of places where the way that we lead becomes super widely visible to a lot of people. Maybe you give a presentation at some point to your entire company or at a conference.

A while ago, though, I was able to watch someone lead who made me really curious about how he does it. He leads in a very public way. I watched a conductor leading an orchestra in a concert, and, in this episode, I'm sharing with you my conversation with him.

Our guest is Cornelius Meister, a German conductor, pianist, and previously the Generalmusikdirektor or General Musical Director at Stuttgart State Opera.

His leadership excellence has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including conductor of the year. He consistently introduces new works and pushes boundaries in his field. He's known for strategic programming that combines established works with rarely performed pieces and world premieres and demonstrates how leaders can drive innovation while respecting foundational principles.

We've all been there - That moment when you know it's time to have that conversation you've been dreading. The one that makes your stomach clench. The one you would rather run away from.

So, how do you handle these conversations? How do you keep it from becoming such a big thing in the first place?

This episode is a deep dive into what makes some conversations feel difficult: being torn between compassion and performance that some managers experience and practical strategies for saying no without burning bridges. We explore dynamics that can make these conversations even trickier for women and other minorities in tech and why it makes the biggest difference to focus your leadership approach on consistent, caring leadership instead of perfect moments.

Our guest is Nikita Rathi. Nikita has been in the tech industry for several years, transitioning from linguistics to software development, and now leading engineering teams and organizations. She has navigated the complexities of managing performance while maintaining empathy, dealt with the challenge of saying no in a people pleasing culture, and hard lessons about setting boundaries. In this episode, she shares wisdom and practical advice on having difficult conversations.

Small gaps in alignment at the leadership level become canyons by the time they reach your teams.

Alignment, as in people really agreeing on what to do, why, and how to get it done. It's also one of those leadership things that sounds so simple and straightforward in theory. But we all know that it's not always that easy in practice.

My guest for this episode, Neil, brings his experiences on the topic of alignment. Neil has 25 years of experience in the industry. He's primarily worked in startup contexts, focusing on communications and data aggregation. For the last 10 years, he's been in senior engineering leadership positions with organizations of 50-100 people.

Neil and I talk about how to spot misalignment before it becomes a canyon and a crisis. We speak about the hard work of building genuine consensus at the leadership level and how to translate high level strategy into something that your engineering teams can actually use to make decisions.

Together, we bring you practical mechanics of creating alignment that is not just nodding along in meetings, but the kind that permeates every aspect of decision making within your organization.

Discover how facilitation skills can transform your leadership approach, whether you're a people manager or not. Learn practical frameworks, tools, and resources to elevate your ability to guide teams toward shared goals with confidence and purpose.

In this episode, I explore actionable allyship strategies with Leo, an experienced staff engineer. Learn how senior technical contributors can support colleagues from underrepresented groups through meeting techniques, documentation, and intentional advocacy — all without direct management responsibilities.

In this candid conversation, we explore the challenges neurodivergent professionals face in technology workplaces and how engineering leaders can better support them. Adya shares her personal experiences as an autistic person with ADHD, highlighting how common management practices and performance feedback often unknowingly target neurodivergent traits rather than actual performance issues.

A quick-start guide from my LDX3 London 2025 talk.

No one wants to be micromanaged, and no one wants to be told they are a micromanager. The word has negative connotations, and usually, it’s for good reason. But there's more to micromanagement than just power and control—it’s a complex issue that often stems from deeper challenges.

Product teams and engineering teams tend to have rocky relationships. Why is this? They’re working toward the same goal, at least they are in theory, so what is the reason for their misalignment? In organizations with product and engineering teams that work together in harmony, what is their secret to success?

How do you respond when your boss or board asks “What's our AI strategy?” In this episode, Lena Reinhard talks with Daniel Paulus, VP of Engineering at Checkly, about developing a pragmatic approach to AI initiatives that creates real value while avoiding the pitfalls of hype-driven development. Daniel shares his experience leading AI initiatives and provides actionable insights for engineering leaders.

As an engineering leader, one of your key responsibilities is to navigate and guide your team through the uncertainty that often comes with new projects and goals. You are to ensure your team has the information they need to do the work that needs to be done. What, then, if you’ve gone to great lengths to bring clarity to your team, only to realize you’ve reduced ambiguity so much that there is no engaging challenge, no room for creative problem-solving? You'll walk away with actionable strategies for shifting your focus from constantly driving for clarity to helping your team embrace and thrive in ambiguous environments.

For anyone who has a manager, learning to manage up is one of the most powerful skills you can develop. Whether you're just starting your career as an engineer or you're a seasoned leader, this guide will help you improve your relationship with your manager in a way that benefits both parties. Learn what managing up means, signs that you should do it more, how to do it well, and how to address common challenges.

Skip-level meetings can be a a catalyst for positive change within your organization, but too often, common interpersonal dynamics get in the way of leaders and employees making the most of them. Learn what these common challenges are and how to address them, to unlock greater team alignment and make your skip-level one-to-ones useful for leaders and employees alike.

Skip-level meetings offer direct communication between senior leaders and employees who report to middle managers. While they can be powerful tools for alignment and building trust, they can be awkward or ineffective if not conducted thoughtfully. This article offers a practical guide and templates for managers of managers to make these meetings beneficial for all involved.

Do you want to handle difficult conversations better? Are you clashing with higher-ups who can’t seem to get on the same page? Is your team not receptive to change? Here are questions from leaders and my answers for when you have to communicate a decision you disagree with.

Your middle managers are more than just intermediaries between your leadership team and employees on the ground. Learn how to equip them with the context, ownership, and clarity they need, and you will not only empower them, but also enhance the overall productivity and morale of your entire organization.

What do you do when you’re asked to execute on a company decision with your team(s) and direct reports, but you disagree with the decision? This step-by-step guide will help you navigate a tricky and complex situation.

Hybrid working contains multitudes, it’s not a singular experience. Here are practical steps you should take to create a highly effective hybrid working environment for your teams.

Times of change are some of the hardest to lead in - not only do leaders need to be able to respond to change and deal with high degrees of ambiguity, but they also need to take charge of creating change. Learn the theory of change and successfully lead change in your organization.