Technology leadership and building better teams I Zach Stein

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Zach Stein, Director of Information Technology at RuffleButts®, to explore his leadership journey, the transition from individual contributor to technology leader, and the lessons he has learned along the way. Zach shares how he grew from being the first developer at a company into a leadership role, building teams and taking on greater responsibility over a decade-long career. He discusses why communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and empathy can matter more than technical skills when hiring and leading software engineers. The conversation also dives into building a blame-free engineering culture, creating psychological safety, practicing reflective listening, leading with gratitude, and developing the self-awareness needed to become a better leader. Zach explains how therapy, reading, and personal growth helped shape his leadership approach and why accountability is essential to building high-performing teams. Bill and Zach also discuss communicating with executives and non-technical stakeholders, connecting technology decisions to business objectives, managing cloud infrastructure, and the challenges of balancing technical leadership with business priorities. For individual contributors considering a move into technology leadership, Zach offers practical advice on demonstrating leadership before receiving the title, taking on increased responsibility, and understanding that leadership means stepping away from the keyboard and empowering others to succeed. Topics covered in this episode: * Zach Stein's leadership journey * Transitioning from developer to engineering manager * Leadership in technology and software engineering * Hiring for communication and team fit * Problem-solving and the XY problem * Building a blame-free engineering culture * Psychological safety in engineering teams * Self-awareness and accountability * Leading with gratitude and reflective listening * Communicating with executives and stakeholders * Connecting technology to business goals * Cloud infrastructure and DevOps * Moving from individual contributor to leader * Why leaders need to empower their teams * Advice for aspiring technology leaders Learn more about leadership, technology management, engineering culture, and personal growth through the 40% Better Podcast. Connect with Zach Stein on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-stein-90654b5/ #Leadership #TechnologyLeadership #EngineeringLeadership #SoftwareEngineering #ITLeadership #Management #TechLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #EngineeringCulture #ZachStein #40PercentBetter I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/ Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast