Why I like Gerald Weinberg?



Gerald M. (Jerry) Weinberg
http://www.geraldmweinberg.com/

 Most of the employer provide no, or very little training when they promote people into management and leadership roles. I was also, sort of, on my own to learn the skills to perform my new assignment as Project Lead. While searching for something relevant to read, google pointed me to Gerald Weinberg’s Becoming a Technical Leader.Though I was dying to get this book, I had to wait for around a month. Dorset Publishing, the publisher of most of Jerry’s book, was not having any presence in India. It was 2005. I believe, even today, they don’t sell their books in India. Any way, I got the book and that’s how I was introduced to Jerry.

Since then Jerry’s writing are my best companion in my journey to understand the field of Software. In the beginning, when I started working as project lead, I was not able to understand that why my direct reports, once close colleagues, no longer seemed to respect or even like me. Jerry came to my rescue by making me understand fundamentals of my new role. He reminded me that I can no longer act as an individual contributor, my sole purpose is to develop my team members into promotable staff. He helped me to understand people’s behaviour and my relationship with them while guiding me to the process of taking charge of my own development.

Through his entertaining writing style, which appeals to my sense of humor, he introduced me to Problem Solving leadership. I always feel inspired by his writing. Jerry’s writing induce thinking. While reading his books I found myself, again and again, stopping and thinking. Co-relating myself with his situation, and trying to absorb the learning from his knowledge and experience.

Jerry is really remarkable and influential software and systems pioneer. He is wise. I wish to meet him someday, till then reading and re-reading his books.

Thank you very much Jerry.