#167 | Your Best Engineer Is Your Biggest Leadership Problem - Now What? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 9, 2026 · 17 MIN

#167 | Your Best Engineer Is Your Biggest Leadership Problem - Now What?

from Leman Tech Leadership Podcast · host Aleksandra Lemańska

▶︎ #167 | Your Best Engineer Is Your Biggest Leadership Problem - Now What?In this solo episode of the Leman Tech Leadership Podcast, Aleksandra Lemanska addresses one of the most uncomfortable dilemmas tech leaders face over and over again: what to do when your technically brilliant engineer is also destroying the team around them.The problem is painfully familiar. Their output looks great on paper. Confronting or removing them feels risky - what if they quit? And yet every other person on the team is paying a daily cost for this person's behavior. Most leaders know it's a problem. Almost none of them know what to actually do about it.Alex identifies three layers that make this harder than it looks. The first is structural, the second is the leader's own ambivalence, and the third is the absence of contracting. In most teams, the technical bar was clear from day one. The relational bar was implied, and implied contracts are what allow destructive behavior to thrive unchallenged.From the CQ Leadership Method perspective, Alex walks through how to diagnose what is actually driving the behavior - and why the intervention looks completely different depending on the root cause. This is not a personality problem. It is a systems and leadership problem that a personality is simply exposing.If you've been avoiding this conversation, this episode gives you the diagnosis and the tools to stop.✉︎ FOLLOW ME ON: ⤵︎LinkedIn: @aleksandralemanskaTikTok: @aleksandra_lemanskaX: @lemanskillsStartup Community Poznan: @startup-community-poznan-scpwww.lemanskills.comJoin Leadership Pulse! https://lemanskills.com/pulse/

▶︎ #167 | Your Best Engineer Is Your Biggest Leadership Problem - Now What?In this solo episode of the Leman Tech Leadership Podcast, Aleksandra Lemanska addresses one of the most uncomfortable dilemmas tech leaders face over and over again: what to do when your technically brilliant engineer is also destroying the team around them.The problem is painfully familiar. Their output looks great on paper. Confronting or removing them feels risky - what if they quit? And yet every other person on the team is paying a daily cost for this person's behavior. Most leaders know it's a problem. Almost none of them know what to actually do about it.Alex identifies three layers that make this harder than it looks. The first is structural, the second is the leader's own ambivalence, and the third is the absence of contracting. In most teams, the technical bar was clear from day one. The relational bar was implied, and implied contracts are what allow destructive behavior to thrive unchallenged.From the CQ Leadership Method perspective, Alex walks through how to diagnose what is actually driving the behavior - and why the intervention looks completely different depending on the root cause. This is not a personality problem. It is a systems and leadership problem that a personality is simply exposing.If you've been avoiding this conversation, this episode gives you the diagnosis and the tools to stop.✉︎ FOLLOW ME ON: ⤵︎LinkedIn: @aleksandralemanskaTikTok: @aleksandra_lemanskaX: @lemanskillsStartup Community Poznan: @startup-community-poznan-scpwww.lemanskills.comJoin Leadership Pulse! https://lemanskills.com/pulse/

NOW PLAYING

#167 | Your Best Engineer Is Your Biggest Leadership Problem - Now What?

0:00 17:37

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

That Hoarder: Overcome Compulsive Hoarding That Hoarder Hoarding disorder is stigmatised and people who hoard feel vast amounts of shame. This podcast began life as an audio diary, an anonymous outlet for somebody with this weird condition. That Hoarder speaks about her experiences living with compulsive hoarding, she interviews therapists, academics, researchers, children of hoarders, professional organisers and influencers, and she shares insight and tips for others with the problem. Listened to by people who hoard as well as those who love them and those who work with them, Overcome Compulsive Hoarding with That Hoarder aims to shatter the stigma, share the truth and speak openly and honestly to improve lives. The Small Business Startup School – Business Notes | Financial Literacy | Retail Psychology – For Professionals & Entrepreneurs The Small Business Startup School Inc. Starting or buying a small business? While personal circumstances may vary, business patterns remain timeless. On The Small Business Startup School, we explore strategies, insights, and practical solutions to help entrepreneurs confidently navigate their journey.Hosted by Ola Williams—a retail entrepreneur, fintech founder, and financial coach with over two decades of experience—this podcast marries financial awareness and retail psychology with optimism to deliver actionable takeaways.Join us to learn, grow, and connect as we uncover the keys to business success.Let’s continue to learn together and be encouraged to keep on connecting! DIOSA. Carolina Sanper This podcast is a sacred space created by Carolina Sanper where you connect with your inner wisdom and embody your magnetic feminine power.It is the realization that the mystical realm is where you plant the seeds of your desired reality.It is a portal to your true essence: awareness, presence, and receiving with ease. Welcome home, DIOSA. 🖤 XXX Tech by SOVRYN Dr. Brian Sovryn The crossroads between technology, sensuality, and metaphysics - and the longest running anarchist podcast in the world! Brought to you by Dr. Brian Sovryn.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Leman Tech Leadership Podcast?

This episode is 17 minutes long.

When was this Leman Tech Leadership Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on June 9, 2026.

What is this episode about?

▶︎ #167 | Your Best Engineer Is Your Biggest Leadership Problem - Now What?In this solo episode of the Leman Tech Leadership Podcast, Aleksandra Lemanska addresses one of the most uncomfortable dilemmas tech leaders face over and over again: what to...

Can I download this Leman Tech Leadership Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!