Leading Effective Engineering Teams
Lessons for Individual Contributors and Managers from over 10 Years at Google
Unlock the secrets to building, leading, and scaling high-performing software engineering teams. Drawing on a decade of experience at Google, Addy Osmani reveals the strategies and techniques to achieve sustained team success.
About the Author
Addy Osmani
Engineering Leader on Google Chrome, leading teams working on Developer Experience and AI. With 25 years of experience in various leadership roles, from individual contributor to tech lead manager, Addy is passionate about growing the next generation of leaders. This book captures his insights and experiences on maintaining effectiveness throughout his career.
Foreword
When I transitioned from a software engineer to an engineering manager some time ago, I was surprisingly unprepared on what to do. I looked to my manager and peer engineering managers for advice and guidance, and I followed a trial-and-error approach to figure out what works.
The challenge of being a great engineering leader is that there's so much advice out there, not to mention the dozens of frameworks and mental models. In the first part of this book, Addy walks through the "modern theory" of engineering management: research and mental models that have stood the test of time for useful management practices—ones that work well for tech teams.
The craft of leadership is far more practical than theoretical, though. The second part of this book is where Addy shares his practical approach to leading engineering teams, and this is the part where Addy shares a condensed history of a decade of leading tech teams.
In addition to sharing his own, distilled experience, Addy allows us to peek at how effective managers at Google operate, as well as what effective leadership looks like in other environments like startups or large enterprises.
Gergely Orosz
Former engineering manager at Uber, author of The Pragmatic Engineer
Amsterdam, March 2024
What You'll Learn
In "Leading Effective Engineering Teams," Addy Osmani shares a wealth of knowledge gleaned from his years at Google. This book is more than just theory; it's a practical guide filled with actionable advice that has been tested and refined in the real world.
Whether you're an individual contributor looking to step into a leadership role or a seasoned manager aiming for high performance, you'll find valuable insights and strategies to:
-
Understand the Core Principles of Effective Teams
Dive into research-backed insights, including Google's Project Aristotle, to discover the key dynamics that fuel success. Learn to create a team where psychological safety, dependability, and a sense of meaning drive productivity and innovation.
Tip: Start by fostering a culture of open communication. Sometimes, the simple act of active listening is all it takes to make your team feel safe and seen.
-
Differentiate Between Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Productivity
Gain clarity on these often-confused terms and learn how to measure your team's impact by focusing on outcomes rather than just outputs.
Tip: Begin measuring your team's effectiveness by focusing on customer satisfaction, not just lines of code. This small shift can drastically change your team's perspective.
-
Build a High-Performing Engineering Culture
Explore proven techniques for hiring the right people, defining roles and responsibilities, and fostering a team spirit. Discover how to encourage a shared mindset of customer focus, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
Tip: Conduct user research workshops. Having your team engage directly with users helps them see how the code affects real people and improves their work.
Table of Contents
1. What Makes a Software Engineering Team Effective?
- Research on What Makes Teams Effective
- Project Aristotle
- Motivation Drives Performance
- Building an Effective Team
2. Efficiency Versus Effectiveness Versus Productivity
- The Differences Between Efficiency, Effectiveness
- Output Versus Outcome
- Effective Efficiency
- Managing Trade-offs
3. The 3 E's Model of Effective Engineering
- Enable - Define and Initialize Effectiveness
- Empower - Feed Opportunities, Starve Problems
- Expand - Leadership Challenges
- The Three Always of Leadership
4. Effective Management Behaviors
- Project Oxygen Research
- Behaviors of High-Performing Managers
- Project Aristotle Findings
- Psychological Safety and Team Dynamics
5. Common Effectiveness Antipatterns
- Individual Antipatterns
- Practice-Related Antipatterns
- Structural Antipatterns
- Leadership Antipatterns
6. Effective Managers
- From Engineering to Management
- Communication Essentials
- People Management
- Managing Team Dynamics
7. Becoming an Effective Leader
- Leadership Roles
- Assessing Your Leadership Skills
- Leading Effectively
- Mastering the Attitude
Dive Deeper: Content Previews
Efficiency vs. Effectiveness vs. Productivity
Ever wondered if your team is truly effective, or just busy? This section demystifies the differences between efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity. You will learn to evaluate:
- How to balance all three to produce better outcomes.
- How to measure what your team creates.
- How to build metrics that matter to your specific context.
The 3 E's Model of Effective Engineering
You'll be introduced to the groundbreaking 3 E's model (Enable, Empower, Expand) which provides a scalable framework to build effective teams from the ground up. Learn how to:
- Define effectiveness for your specific team and organization.
- Empower your team by removing blockers and investing in team culture.
- Expand your influence across multiple teams and departments.
Research-Backed Insights from Google
Project Oxygen: What Makes a Great Manager?
Google's Project Oxygen wasn't just an academic endeavor—it was a pivotal research initiative aimed at quantifying and verbalizing what makes a great engineering manager. Key behaviors that emerged include:
-
Being a Good Coach
Effective managers empower their teams through guidance and feedback, not by dictating every step. They help team members discover their potential and remove obstacles on their journey.
Ask yourself: Do I create a safe environment where my team can seek my help, and not just feel like they are coming to me with problems?
Project Aristotle: Building Effective Teams
Google's Project Aristotle aimed to uncover the secrets of effective teamwork. It demonstrated that what matters most is not who is on the team but how team members interact. The key dynamics for successful teams are:
-
Psychological Safety
Create an environment where team members feel comfortable taking risks, voicing ideas, and admitting mistakes without fear of retribution.
Ask yourself: Do you see conflicts as an opportunity for growth or do you see them as something to avoid?
What Leaders Are Saying
Ammar M.
Feed post
📚 Just finished reading Leading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy Osmani, an engineering leader at Google, and I highly recommend it to anyone in or aspiring to be in engineering leadership! 🎯 This book is packed with practical insights on building high-performing teams, fostering innovation, and navigating the complex dynamics of engineering management. I must say I really enjoyed it.
Jayas Balakrishnan
Feed post
📚 Excited to have just received my copy of “Leading Effective Engineering Teams” by Addy Osmani 🚀 I’m always eager to explore new insights and strategies to help my team thrive and deliver outstanding results. Looking forward to diving into this book and implementing its lessons to drive even greater success within my team. Thank you, Addy Osmani, for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Igor Skoldin
Feed post
Just finished reading Leading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy Osmani. While the title suggests it’s a handbook for team leads and engineering managers, I found it valuable for any software engineer working in a team. Here’s why it stands out: Understand manager expectations It provides insights into what managers look for and how to align with those expectations — helpful not only for growing ...
🕴Anders Jensen
Feed post
Following up from last nights excellent webinar with Addy Osmani I wanted to do a little shoutout about his new book “Leading effective engineering teams”.
Marinela Boyadzhieva
Feed post
I am currently reading 'Leading Effective Engineering Teams' by Addy Osmani and it's almost the only book where in clear and concise manner you can understand concepts like effectiveness, efficiency and productivity and how these support your organisational, team and personal goals and aspirations. Go and have a read at O'Reilly.
Davide de Paolis
Feed post
As usual lots of time to read, and "leading effective engineering teams" by Addy Osmani is full of great advice. am I ticking all those boxes? definitely not (not yet!) - would be interesting to apply the learnings from another book I read this summer (Blindspots by Marisa Murray B. Eng, MBA, PCC) to understand the Blindspots that are preventing me from being as high-performing as I would like to ...
Filipe Santos
Feed post
I've been reading leadership books for a while, and it’s incredible how much you can grow by doing so. These books offer insights that help you improve, better understand your own gaps, and identify opportunities to support and better understand your manager. Here are some key takeaways from my latest read: - Understand what the user aims to achieve with the product.
Gergely Orosz
Feed post
Look at what is out: the new book, Leading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy Osmani. I got to read this book before it came out, and wrote the foreword: The background on how this happened is I met Addy at the end of last year, when I was in the Bay Area. In-between him giving a tour of the Google offices, Addy shared that he's working on this book, which is a collection of many, many years of n...
German F.
Feed post
Last night I completed "Leading Effective Engineering Teams" by Addy Osmani. A must-read for those dedicated to continuous growth as managers and leaders. One key takeaway on leadership from this book: "...is about cultivating a mindset that inspires, motivates, and empowers others to achieve their full potential".
Jarryd Jermaine Chengalroyen
Feed post
Currently exploring a chapter in "Leading Effective Engineering Teams" by Addy Osmani, diving into how metrics are viewed in software development. One key insight: Outputs ≠ Outcomes. Outputs (easier to measure): - Throughput: Items shipped to production - Velocity: Speed of pipeline flow - Quality: Defects vs.
Joseba Ruiz
Feed post
Hoy vengo con 3 recomendaciones de libros que me están sorprendiendo muy gratamente: dos libros técnicos y uno de gestión. - 'Leading effective engineering teams' de Addy Osmani (Editorial O'Reilly). - 'Building LLMs for production' de Louie Peters y Louis-François Bouchard (Editorial Shroff Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd.
Junaid Effendi
Feed post
Recently started the book Leading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy Osmani. 📖 So far so good. Another good thing I like is when you can easily relate with your experience and other books. E.g. recently finished a book Team Topologies and I can see how effectiveness can be correlated between the two books.
Lars Roettig
Feed post
I find it comforting to remember that reading a good book on a rainy day can genuinely lift your spirits. I'm immersed in "Leading Effective Engineering Teams" by Addy Osmani. There are so many things to learn, even as a software architect. This book powerfully reminds us of the opportunities for growth and learning in every role.
Marcus Vechiato
Feed post
🚀 I've just published a new blog post on "Insights from Leading Effective Engineering Teams" by Addy Osmani. This book is a must-read for anyone in or aspiring to be in an engineering leadership role. It offers invaluable insights on building and sustaining high-performing teams, covering crucial aspects like psychological safety, dependability, and effective management behaviors.
Michael Birsak
Feed post
Finally I can get my hands on this one here. Looking forward to diving deeper into „Leading Effective Engineering Teams” by Addy Osmani. 📚 👀
Jonathan Morales
Feed post
I recently finished Leading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy Osmani, and I highly recommend it. It offers a valuable framework with many models you can use to tackle new challenges effectively. The following stood out to me: Project Aristotle is a research initiative by Google that identifies the key factors that contribute to effective team performance.
Paweł Twardziak
Feed post
I just added 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 by Addy Osmani to my Kindle collection! 📖 Huge thanks for all your work and insights, Addy! 🫶 Check the comments below for a link to Addy’s original post, which inspired me to get the book. 👇
Prabhakaran Ravichandran
Feed post
Book Title: Leading Effective Engineering Teams: Lessons for Individual Contributors and Managers from 10 Years at Google Ever wondered what makes Google's engineering teams so effective? 🤔 The answer lies in the insights from Project Oxygen and Project Aristotle, which have shaped the secret sauce of building world-class teams.
Alexander Reelsen
Feed post
Leading Effective Engineering Teams - what an awesome book from Addy Osmani. Short and concise (around 250 pages) this book covers a lot of ground from a engineer and management perspective, how to create, lead and keep effective teams - different styles of leading, not by force, but by example and management (servant leadership) with a ton of a nice examples.
Steven Syrek
Feed post
Just finished "Leading Effective Engineering Teams" by Addy Osmani. Good stuff. Key takeaways: - We often talk about psychological safety at work, but it's still not often enough. - There are patterns and anti-patterns for effective engineering leadership. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. - You can get a ton of leverage out of delegation, trust, and mentorship—much more than trying to do ever...
Tirth Gajjar
Feed post
Building a great team starts with leading by example. As I dive into 'Leading Effective Engineering Teams,' by my favorite tech leadership author Addy Osmani, I'm reminded that true is about empowering others, fostering , and creating a of continuous . Together, we’re not just building MVPs—we're building the future.
Tristan Lombard
Feed post
📚 Love our DevOps, AI, & Beyond book club and latest discussion, "Leading Effective Engineering Teams: Lessons for Individual Contributors and Managers from 10 Years at Google." Meant the world to have this cameo, Addy Osmani and your book prompted some great conversations. We appreciate you. ❤️ 💡 Per Gartner, engineering leaders that teams take part in creating their own standards that work bes...
Valerio Passeri
Feed post
Leading Effective Engineering Teams: Lessons for Individual Contributors and Managers from 10 Years at Google From the Editor's web site: In this insightful and comprehensive guide, Addy Osmani shares more than a decade of experience working on the Chrome team at Google, uncovering secrets to engineering effectiveness, efficiency, and team success.
Veysel S.
Feed post
Currently reading the book Leading Effective Engineering Teams by Addy Osmani. One part that deeply resonated with me is the importance of ensuring that every team member understands how their work aligns with their teammates’ efforts and the larger project goals. Addy highlights linking individual tasks to specific features and user stories, showing how each contribution impacts the product's ove...
Zoltan Varju
Feed post
As someone working in data science, I found his insights on technical leadership surprisingly relevant to our field. The book showed me that leadership skills are crucial for all technical professionals, not just managers. Osmani's 3 E's Model is particularly valuable for anyone working at the intersection of multiple teams and disciplines.
Bonus: Free Leadership Cheat Sheets
Download these practical cheat sheets to enhance your leadership toolkit. Whether you're working on improving communication, running effective meetings, or developing essential soft skills, these guides provide actionable frameworks and strategies you can implement immediately.
Book Details
Publication Details
- Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1st edition
- Publication Date: July 16, 2024
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 109814824X
- ISBN-13: 978-1098148249
Length
Paperback: 276 pages
Ready to Transform Your Engineering Team?
Learn the essential principles, tips, and frameworks for building highly effective engineering teams.