Debugging Developers - A Field Guide to Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

Did you get into computers to avoid people, and then suddenly found yourself in charge of them?

In the world of software engineering, we’re trained to debug systems - yet rarely taught to debug ourselves or our teams. This talk is a field guide for technical leaders ready to evolve from code-centric problem solvers into emotionally intelligent catalysts for growth. Drawing from his unusual background in psychology and anthropology paired with over 20 years of pragmatic experience in the field, Robert offers a fresh lens on engineering leadership: one that sees developers not just as resources, but as richly complex humans navigating fear, ego, burnout, and brilliance.

Through real-world coaching, surreal metaphors, and lived experience leading engineers through transformation, Robert unpacks the invisible forces that shape developer behavior. You’ll learn how to spot emotional “exceptions” in your team, refactor toxic dynamics, and architect cultures of trust and psychological safety. Whether you're a tech lead, manager, or founder, this session offers practical tools and mindset shifts to help you lead with empathy, clarity, and courage - without sacrificing technical rigor.

Come ready to rethink leadership as a creative, iterative process - one that’s less about control and more about connection. Because the most powerful debugging tool in your stack… might just be you.

About Robert Harris

Robert N. Harris is the Founder & CEO of Coded2Lead LLC, a coaching practice dedicated to transforming software engineers into emotionally intelligent leaders. A 4x software engineering executive based in Houston, TX, Robert draws on 20+ years of pragmatic leadership experience - alongside a unique academic background in psychology and anthropology - to tackle the toughest problems in technology: the human ones.
His claim to fame is helping small engineering teams punch above their weight. He’s helped companies shrink product cycles from months to weeks, launch new products in months instead of years, and scale revenue by 10x.

He’s mentored tech leads, managers, and founders across industries, blending technical rigor with surreal metaphors, visual storytelling, and deeply empathetic insight. Whether he's refining a brand identity or helping a developer navigate imposter syndrome, Robert’s approach is iterative, creative, and always human-centered.

When he’s not coaching, you’ll find him in the garden, under the stars, or behind the wheel - using race cars, astronomy, and nature as unexpected mirrors for leadership growth. His mission: to help engineers debug themselves, lead with courage, and build systems where people thrive.

If a business is willing to invest in software engineering, he’ll make sure they get the most out of that investment.

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