About nine months ago I found myself in a rut. My calendar was fully booked with meetings and I was knee-deep implementing operational efficiencies across our teams. Meanwhile, I felt like I was a backseat observer to the rapid innovation taking place in technology.
I was missing out on the excitement of technology’s next and current promise. I missed the fun of getting my hands dirty with the craft I’m tasked with leading. But first I took a step back to look at the big picture. I decided to take this approach:
Stop. Rethink what is most important. Refactor your mindset.
About the Author
CJ Montano is CTO at Forte Group and a devoted technical leader with a deep passion for technology and continuous learning. In this article, CJ shares his personal experience of relearning and provides insights into the importance of prioritizing learning in leadership roles.
Immersing myself in technology
And with that I decided to take the plunge and immerse myself into technology learning:
- Gary Gensler’s MIT course on blockchain
- Unreal Engine Development using Blueprints
- The Complete Node.JS Developer
- Docker Mastery + Kubernetes
- Stephen Rylander’s book Patterns of Software Construction
- Gregor Hohpe’s book on Architecture, The Software Architect Elevator
I’m currently working through AWS Cloud Certifications. I also read an enjoyable book by Eric Redmond titled “Deep Tech: Demystifying the Breakthrough Technologies That Will Revolutionize Everything.”
Learning took on a life of its own. Like the curious software engineer I was earlier in my career, I couldn’t consume enough information. I was once again “in flow,” inspired to enjoy technology by interacting with it at a fundamental level.