STARWEST 2008: The Marine Corps Principles of Leadership for Testers

You can have the best tools and processes in the world, but if your staff is not motivated and productive, your testing effort will be, at best, inefficient. Good test managers must also be good leaders. Retired Marine Colonel Rick Craig describes how using the Marine Corps Principles of Leadership can help you become a better leader and, as a result, a better test manager. Learn the difference between leadership and management and why they complement each other. Join in the discussion and share ideas that have helped you motivate your testers (and those that didn't). Also, share your thoughts on what characteristics are associated with leaders and whether you believe that “leaders are made” or “leaders are born”. Rick discusses motivation, morale, training, span of control, immersion time, and promoting the testing discipline within your organization. He also address the importance of influence leaders and how they can be used as agents of change.