About (the details)
This is my parking place for the philosophy, tools, and skills that we all need to master to take a more proactive approach to managing our own contributions, careers, and success.
There won’t be pie-in-the-sky, high altitude, pointless philosophizing, though. Everything we’ll talk about is very down to earth, specific things that you can do to recognize and focus your own leadership abilities. We’ll talk big picture, but we’ll also talk shop with things like how to actively manage your career, and how to write and speak effectively (and why you should care).
Check out this post for a more complete introduction to the site and my point of view.
A little more about me and what I’m doing.
The topics we’ll be talking about are inspired by the lessons I wish I’d already learned when I was starting my career. They apply to you right now—whether you’re a student starting to think about getting your first job, or whether you are a professional already on your way to developing a career.
Who are you, anyway?
I’m John West. I completed a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Computational Engineering before heading out into the real world to earn my keep. Good news: in 10 years I went from being an entry-level code guy to being the director of a top 20 supercomputing center.
Bad news: by the time I was in charge I was technically competent but I didn’t know much about leading or managing people and budgets and all the things you have to do to keep a medium-sized business going. What I did have was something that ultimately proved to be more important: a frame of mind for looking at problems and dealing with other people in a way that led to new solutions and an open, enriching, creative, professional environment for my team. This frame of mind—or framework, or outlook, or philosophy—is what this web site, and the accompanying book, are about.
With this philosophy I have been able to work out what I didn’t know, while at the same time getting out of the way enough to help those around me do more than they thought they could. In the early years of my time as a leader, I learned a lot of lessons the hardest way possible—at the expense of other people.
You’re young. What do you know about leadership?
It’s a fair question. I created this site and the book to help jumpstart the folks who are just now creating the technologies that will shape our future. This is important enough to me that I don’t want to wait until I have gray hair (well, more gray hair) and the distinguished air of age. I wanted to get started right away and get your attention before you get indoctrinated in The Way It’s Always Been Done.
Also, I’m trying to reach people still in school or very early in their careers. In other words, those who have not already started to learn these lessons the hard way. I’m young enough to remember what starting a career is like, and how difficult the first lessons can be. I’ve also been successful enough early in my career to know some of the things to watch out for, and what lessons you need to learn early.
Most of my peers are in their 50s; I’m not sure that I have a lot to offer someone at that stage of their life and career, and, in fact, I still spend a lot of my time learning from them. But I am positive that I have something to offer those of you either still in college or at the early stages of your career.
