Rob Roy - SOG-TRob Roy is an award winning 28-year veteran of the US Navy with 22 years as an active member and leader of the elite Navy SEALs. He spoke at the Small Business Technology Summit on team leadership. Here are a few pointers he gave that can be applied to the success of your next application development team.

  • Find the right team – Sounds obvious, but it is the first important step. In the SEALs they recruit 10 times the number of people, knowing that only 1 in 10 will actually be a right fit for the team.
  • Work together – Make sure you are part of the team and you work together with your team to make sure you are fully utilizing the teams strengths.
  • Know your team – Rob spends a lot of time making sure he knows each member of the teams strengths and weaknesses.
  • If you can’t face your fears, you can’t move forward!
  • Lead from the front
  • Think outside the box. Sometimes solutions to problems your group is facing aren’t obvious, but usually the best solution is the simplest.
  • Be focused in the moment on your current goal.
  • Don’t leave people behind in the team. Make sure everyone knows where the project is and is on target. If someone falls behind help them catch up.
  • Integrity is #1. Require it in every interaction and step.
  • Competency is not an emergency plan. Make sure you’ve worked through contingency plans.
  • Welcome change.
  • Ego is a team leader’s greatest asset and greatest threat.