Helping first-time CS Leaders navigate real challenges through your experience & insights

The Goal: Helping first-time CS leaders succeed

Leadership isn’t something you figure out alone. Your insights will help new CS leaders build confidence, avoid mistakes, and grow into stronger leaders.

We’re grateful for your expertise—you’re shaping the next generation of CS leadership.

What to expect

CS Dojo aims to be a highly interactive training ground for first-time CS leaders, team leads, and heads of CS who are navigating leadership for the first time.

As an expert contributor, your role is to share real-world experience, practical advice, and leadership insights to help these new leaders grow—with no prep needed.

📌 Key things to know:
✔️ No presentations or slides. Just open, structured discussions.
✔️ Tactical, real-world insights. Focus on practical solutions, not just theory.
✔️ Confidential and candid space. Leaders should feel comfortable sharing struggles.
✔️ You’re here as a guide, not a lecturer. Share, advise, and encourage discussion.

How the session works

📆 When: Last Thursday of every month

📍 Duration: 90 minutes | 12:00 - 1:30pm
👥 Limited to 15-20 participants (to keep it interactive)
🎤 Format: Structured Leadership Discussion + Peer Feedback

🔹 Step 1: The Hot Seat (Main Challenge Discussion)

• One attendee (pre-selected based on submitted challenges) presents their biggest (leadership) challenge to the group.

• Experts (you) share insights, strategies, and real-life examples to help solve the challenge.

• The rest of the group chimes in with follow-up questions, additional perspectives, or experiences.

🔹 Step 2: Group-Picked Challenges (Live Poll)

• We launch a live poll where attendees upvote 1-3 additional questions they want help with.

• The top-voted challenges are discussed in the same format—experts give insights first, then the group contributes.

🔹 Step 3: Action Plan & Accountability

• Each participant commits to an action based on the discussion.

• We’ll circle back next month to check in on progress (if they are a returning mentee).

• A private Slack group will continue the discussion between sessions.

💡 As an expert, your role is simple:
✔️ Be candid and tactical—no fluff. Share real lessons from your leadership journey.
✔️ Encourage participation. This isn’t a lecture; it’s a space for open dialogue.
✔️ Help attendees commit to the next steps. The goal is application, not just conversation.

Logistics & Prep (What You Need to Know)

📌 No prep work needed! You just show up and share your experience.
📌 Arrive on time—sessions are 90 minutes long (structured discussion + networking).
📌 Confidentiality is key—what’s shared in the dojo stays in the dojo.
📌 Encourage action-taking—we want attendees to leave with a clear next step.
📌 Join the private Slack group—to keep the momentum going between sessions. Find the slack channel #csdojo

🎯 Help the mentees absorb what matters

As an expert, your insights are gold.
But remember—for first-time leaders, the flood of new advice can feel intense, even overwhelming.

To help the group get the most out of your input:

Summarize your answer in one sentence at the end

After you’ve shared your thoughts or advice, take a moment to wrap it up in a single, clear sentence.
Think of it as your “bottom line” or one-liner takeaway they can write down and revisit.

🗣 “So to summarize: Delegate the outcome, not the process—that’s how you build trust without micromanaging.”

💡 How to Make Your Answers Stick

Here are some ways to make your advice easier to understand, remember, and apply:

1. Lead with the core idea first, then explain.
   → Don’t bury the key insight—start strong and expand with context.

2. Use simple language, not leadership jargon.
   → Avoid phrases like “strategic alignment” or “cross-functional execution” unless you explain them clearly.

3. Give real-world examples.
   → A quick “Here’s how I handled this” story goes a long way in making advice relatable.

4. Offer 1 clear action, not a buffet of options.
   → They don’t need 5 ideas—they need one they can try tomorrow.

5. Be honest about what didn’t work.
   → Vulnerability builds trust. It’s okay to say, “I tried this once and it bombed—here’s what I learned.”