Hero CTO turned Strategic CTO: The Path to Executive Leadership with Adam Horner

Product Driven

🔄 From Hero to Leader: The Evolution of the Modern CTO

Join Matt Watson and CTO coach Adam Horner in an insightful exploration of the transformative journey from technical hero to strategic leader. Discover why successful CTOs must evolve beyond individual technical contributions to drive organizational success through strategic leadership.

This comprehensive discussion examines the critical transition phases of technical leadership, from founding engineer to executive CTO. Through practical insights and real-world experiences, learn how to navigate the challenging path from hands-on problem solver to strategic business leader while maintaining technical credibility.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

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Key Discussion Points:

🎯 The four stages of CTO evolution

💡 Transitioning from firefighter to strategist

🔄 Balancing technical expertise with leadership

⚡ Executive team integration strategies

📊 Product-driven leadership approaches

🌱 Building empathy across engineering teams

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction to modern CTO challenges

3:14 - Four stages of CTO development

5:08 - Strategic thinking importance

7:01 - Managing firefighting mode

10:05 - Delegation and ownership

14:29 - Executive communication strategies

18:28 - Product focus importance

21:56 - Engineering empathy development

27:15 - Communication fundamentals

30:38 - Closing thoughts and resources

Transform your technical leadership approach through strategic thinking and business alignment. Join our community of forward-thinking technology leaders shaping the future of software development.