How Do Leaders Build Confidence in their Employees ft Erin Petty
In this insightful episode of IT Leaders, Erin Petty, VP of IT Shared Services at Sweetwater, takes the mic to share a dynamic and heartfelt exploration into what it truly means to build confidence within IT teams. Drawing from her unique transition from sales and human services into tech leadership, Erin unpacks the soft skill that often goes overlooked but can make or break a team’s potential: confidence.
Erin walks us through her career journey—spanning roles from business analyst to director to her current executive leadership—and how each stage taught her to cultivate confidence not only in herself but across her growing team. Through a mix of humor, storytelling, and hard-earned insights, she details how fostering a “failure-friendly” culture, encouraging mentorship, promoting adaptability, and celebrating wins (even the small ones) can dramatically improve collaboration and innovation in technical environments.
Listeners will discover practical strategies like using SWOT analyses to understand team goals, tailoring feedback and recognition methods to individual preferences, and investing in both team and personal development. Whether you’re leading a small team or scaling an IT department, Erin’s leadership philosophy emphasizes empathy, clarity, and intentionality.
Tune in for a session filled with actionable takeaways and a strong reminder: confident teams aren’t built by chance—they’re shaped by leaders who dare to invest in human connection as much as technical skill.
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