Technical Leader Blueprint

The Technical Leader Blueprint | Kimberly McDermott Consulting

The Technical Leader Blueprint

Most scientists and technical experts reach a point where leading people becomes as important as the science itself.

The ones who figure it out treat it like a new field of study.

Answer 5 questions about what is happening for you right now. Get a blueprint with practical action steps that you can take immediately to get better outcomes from yourself and your team.

5 steps

5 minutes

Personalized blueprint

Free

Built by

Kimberly McDermott, PhD, PCC — 9+ years coaching scientists and technical experts across industries and academia

Step 1 of 5

The Challenge

Start with the bigger picture: new responsibilities, a team dynamic that is not working, uncertainty about how to lead, or something you want to develop. The first step is simply to describe it.

Big or small, something is on your mind and that is worth naming.

Step 1 of 5: The Challenge

As a leader, what feels challenging or stuck right now?

Pick the one that is most important right now

Step 2 of 5

Help Us Understand This Better

Step 2 of 5: Help Us Understand This Better

Step 3 of 5

Identify Patterns

When challenges hit, we all have behaviors or mindsets that can get in the way. Even strengths can be overused.

This is not about beating yourself up. Noticing what tends to show up is a powerful first step.

Step 3 of 5: Identify Patterns

When challenges hit, what mindset or behavior tends to trip you up?

Select all that apply

What does that look like for you? optional — the more detail, the more personalized your blueprint

Step 4 of 5

Your Strengths

Your strengths are your accelerators. Calling them out helps you use them with more intention. The better you know your strengths, the more power they give you in moving forward.

Step 4 of 5: Your Strengths

At your best, what strength do you lean on most?

Choose your primary go-to strength that most applies to this situation

Share an example of using this strength. optional — the more detail, the more personalized your blueprint

Step 5 of 5

Trade-offs

Work often pulls in two directions at once. These trade-offs are normal. What matters is noticing which side you tend to favor so you can rebalance when needed.

Step 5 of 5: Trade-offs

Which of these tensions feels truest right now?

Pick the one that is creating the most friction in your current situation

Which direction do you tend to lean? (particularly when things are stressful) optional — the more detail, the more personalized your blueprint

Your Technical Leader Blueprint

Enter email to reveal

Where should we send your blueprint?

Enter your details to generate your personalized blueprint and get a copy sent to your email to keep.

Please enter your first name and a valid email address.

By clicking "Create my blueprint," you agree to receive emails from Kimberly McDermott Consulting & Coaching. Unsubscribe anytime. Your email is never sold or shared.

Building your blueprint...

Analyzing your responses with a coaching framework

✓

Reading your challenge and friction points

✓

Identifying patterns and strengths

✓

Applying coaching framework to your situation

✓

Generating personalized insights and actions

✓

Preparing your blueprint — this takes about 1 to 2 minutes

“The resulting Blueprint was spot on and pulled everything together in a way I did not expect.”

“You invest ten minutes and get personalized insights that are genuinely helpful.”

“It identified sticky situations I had not noticed or been able to articulate before.”

“The actionable tips were new to me and I learned valuable lessons for the future.”