Just people in a room

Overview
A seasoned software engineer shares personal reflections on two decades of experience in the tech industry, examining how corporate tribalism shapes behavior and how leaders can become aware of their own blind spots.

Key Takeaways

• Recognize the subtle ways corporate culture can influence decision making and personal identity.
• Develop self-awareness to identify when you are contributing to toxic dynamics.
• Adopt practices that foster openness, psychological safety, and constructive conflict.
• Understand that failure is often a symptom of systemic issues rather than individual incompetence.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers seeking to improve team culture.
• Technical leaders who want to reflect on their own impact.
• Senior engineers transitioning into people-management roles.
• Anyone interested in the sociology of tech workplaces.

Frameworks and Methodologies

• Psychological safety framework (Google Project Aristotle).
• Servant leadership principles.
• Continuous feedback loops (retrospectives, 1:1s).
• Systems thinking for diagnosing organizational problems.