Open Source Development Leadership Principles
Here is an ongoing list of principles of good leadership. that I am observing as we go along with GVCS development:
- Some people will not ask for help because they are embarrassed, or otherwise restrained from asking questions for various reasons. Find out early if the block is due to unwillingness, or if the person is really willing to accept advice but are just not asking. A good leader will look to identify the distinction - and if the willingness is there - provide as much guidance to the willing person as possible, as they are likely to produce valuable and relevant results.
- Some people will go in their own direction because they are essentially not team players, but others will go in their own direction even if they are team players but are simply missing proper guidance. Some people may take initiative just to keep moving, and are quite willing to correct. A good leader will identify the distinction between collaborative and non-collaborative action. The good leader will provide ample guidance to those who want to collaborate, and ignore those who don't - smoothly and without offense.
- Everything is negotiable as in life. If a person is non-collaborative on one aspect of a project, they may be highly collaborative in other areas or under different circumstances. Thus, suitable task allocation, role, or team structure is important. A good leader will be skilled in determining the distinction between good and bad fit between developers and their activities.
Links
- The Art of Community, by Jono Bacon - PDF - [1]
