Where have you failed in your professional work? How did you respond to that failure? It is a common interview question. One many people dread. Consider failure as one of the best teaching tools you can find, and look to grow from your failure.

Shifting your mindset as a technical leader is one of the most important changes for you to consider as your role changes. Contrast how different the role of technical leader is from an individual contributor. How can you make this shift and avoid a big mistake?

Have you ever felt that one of your staff isn’t working with urgency? Maybe your entire team? Have you experienced a team that appears not to care if something is done today or tomorrow? You wish they showed more energy or motivation to deliver results?

Simple questions help with prioritization when everything seems important. Rarely will someone come to you with a request that they will admit is not important. You end up having to make your best judgement where to spend your time. These questions bring the real priority into focus.

Communicating clear expectations with your team is a fundamental skill for any leader. How are you communicating to your team when you want them to do something? How specific are you? What language can you use to reduce the ambiguity of your expecations?