InfoQ - Careers

Developing Your Leadership Skills toward Principal Engineering

Ben Linders — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:10:00 GMT

Work isn’t the only place where you can develop valuable leadership skills, Sophie Weston mentioned in the video The Principal Engineer’s Path from her QCon London talk. She suggested thinking about the things you do outside of your job where you can learn and practice useful leadership skills, and bringing your full skill set - your whole self - to work.

By Ben Linders

Presentation: The Principal Engineer’s Path: Skills, Strategies, and Lessons Learned

Sophie Weston — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:48:00 GMT

Sophie Weston explains that technical careers are winding journeys, not straight ladders. Drawing on 30 years of experience, she shares how senior ICs can become "broken combs" by broadening skills in systems thinking and strategy. She discusses the vital role of organizational flexibility and explains how public speaking and community engagement create feedback loops for career success.

By Sophie Weston

Presentation: Hidden Decisions You Don’t Know You’re Making

Shawna Martell, Dan Fike — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:58:00 GMT

Dan Fike and Shawna Martell explain how "hidden decisions" silently shape software architecture and engineering culture. By examining the invisible defaults behind CI/CD bottlenecks, platform complexity, and misaligned metrics, they share frameworks for leading with intentionality. Learn to identify the "decision behind the decision" to better incentivize high-performing teams and careers.

By Shawna Martell, Dan Fike