# Presentation: Lead Without a Ladder: How I Climbed Into Engineering Leadership

DevFeed: [Presentation: Lead Without a Ladder: How I Climbed Into Engineering Leadership](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/presentation-lead-without-a-ladder-how-i-climbed-into-engineering-leadership-26603.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.infoq.com/presentations/engineering-leadership/>)

Author: Pauline Jepp

Published: 2026-09-15T09:10:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [InfoQ](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/infoq.md>)

Topics: [engineering-leadership](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/engineering-leadership.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>)

Tags: [alignment](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/alignment.md>), [careers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/careers.md>), [chief-engineer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/chief-engineer.md>), [culture-methods](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/culture-methods.md>), [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [engineering-leadership](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering-leadership.md>), [infoq](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/infoq.md>), [leadership](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/leadership.md>), [mentorship](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mentorship.md>), [presentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/presentation.md>), [qcon-san-francisco-2025](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/qcon-san-francisco-2025.md>), [qcon-software-development-conference](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/qcon-software-development-conference.md>), [safety](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/safety.md>), [team](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/team.md>), [transcripts](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/transcripts.md>), [trust](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/trust.md>)

## AI overview

Pauline Jepp discusses how systems thinking, rock climbing, and flocking behaviors inform engineering leadership. She covers balancing team autonomy with alignment, supporting mentorship and other invisible work, and transitioning from hands-on engineering to leadership while maintaining organizational trust and psychological safety.

## Source excerpt

Pauline Jepp explains how systems thinking, rock climbing, and flocking behaviors apply to engineering leadership. She shares strategies for balancing team autonomy with alignment, supporting invisible work like mentorship, and navigating transitions from hands-on engineer to engineering leader while maintaining organizational trust and psychological safety. By Pauline Jepp