#6. Edit Kapcari is the Head of Solutions Development at ORBIS SE in Germany where she has built her career since 2017. Initially a software engineer in the CRM practice, Edit pitched the concept of starting a Power Platform practice to her leadership and now leads that business unit.

Edit shares her perspectives and experience as a people manager, being a great mentor and coach to the people in her team that I was keen to learn from. communication and collaboration for career progression, and how Edith's unique approach to mentoring and goal-setting drives team success. We talk about her strategies for aligning individual and team goals through regular one-on-one meetings.

Throughout our conversation, Edith shares her journey, from her proactive leadership during COVID to winning competitive hackathons, and how those experiences shaped her leadership approach. She offers invaluable advice on delegating tasks, fostering a culture of constructive feedback, and empowering team members. Edith also touches on her belief in continuous learning, balancing practical skills with certifications, and the importance of more female voices in tech.

Speaking of which, I’d love to learn from more female leaders in tech. Please get in touch if that’s you or someone you’d recommend.

KEY LESSONS

1. Mentoring. Intuitively, I think we all know the importance of coaching our team members, but I’ll admit I struggle to prioritise the time given the other responsibilities we might have to nurture sales, resolve customer escalations, participate in recruitment and handle operations.
2. External inspiration. I admire Edit’s perspective on reading biographies of people who persevered through adversity and using that to learn about leadership. I think there’s also merit in traditional management content as well. I’ll try and broaden my learning through some biographies too.
3. Hackathons as learning shortcut. I love how Edit used hackathons as a way of rapidly learning about something new. You’re dropped into a team, given a challenge and expected to solve the problem in a short space of time. I’ve barely participated in any hackathons. I’m going to look for opportunities for more.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Edith's first hackathon experience

00:39 Introduction to Practice Leading with Neil Benson

01:38 Learning from Edith Kapsari

03:16 Edith's secret to mentorship and team-building

05:17 The importance of understanding individual and team goals

07:04 Edith's approach to goal setting and communication

08:51 Exploring various types of goals with team members

12:13 Recognizing individual contributions within a team

14:39 Weekly one-on-ones and team communication strategy

17:16 Challenges and philosophy of managing a larger team

23:57 Edith's transition from individual contributor to a leadership role

28:30 Hackathons as a tool for practice building and delegation

30:38 Unique insights and concluding messages from Edith

RESOURCES

• Edit Kapcari on LinkedIn
• ORBIS SE on LinkedIn

RECOMMENDED EPISODES

• Building diverse and empathetic leadership with Areti Iles.

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