Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership

Alexis Monville
  • 4.0 (1)
  • BUSINESS
  • MONTHLY

How does leadership emerge in tech? Join Alexis Monville to explore the intersection of engineering management, culture, and organizational design. This podcast is for the manager or technical leader looking to move beyond titles. We dive into coaching strategies and practical practices that help every team collaborate with purpose. Through conversations with change-makers in the tech industry, discover how to transform your organization by leading with intention. Learn to foster a culture where leadership isn’t just management: it is an act of service that delivers results.

  1. SEASON 5 TRAILER

    Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership - TRAILER

    The old playbooks for leadership? They aren't just gathering dust. They’re being rewritten in real-time. We’re moving away from command-and-control and toward something much more human, agile, and, frankly, much more exciting. This is Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, I’m your host Alexis Monville. In each episode, I sit down with the visionaries, the quiet disruptors, and the bold thinkers who are shaping the next era of management and innovation. We aren't just looking for 'best practices.' We’re looking for the sparks of change that help us grow, not just as managers or individual contributors, but as PEOPLE. Expect deep dives, unexpected insights, and a healthy dose of curiosity. Whether you’re leading a global organization or leading your very first project, this is your space to explore how leadership is evolving. So, if you’re ready to challenge the status quo and step into the future of work, subscribe now. Let’s discover what’s emerging, together.

    1 min
  2. Why Agile Struggles at Scale and How Lean Helps Organizations Grow

    10 FEB

    Why Agile Struggles at Scale and How Lean Helps Organizations Grow

    Agile transformed how small teams build software.But what happens when organizations grow to hundreds or thousands of people? In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, Alexis Monville welcomes Fabrice Bernhard, co-founder and CTO of Theodo and co-author of The Lean Tech Manifesto. Fabrice explains why the four values of the Agile Manifesto have inherent scale limits, and how Lean thinking helps organizations keep the same intention, without falling into bureaucracy. They explore:– what “value for the customer” really means at scale– why autonomy requires both leadership and architecture– how tech-enabled networks of teams work in practice– what it takes to build a true learning organization– and why Lean is not just good for people, but also for business A grounded conversation for leaders, tech professionals, and change agents navigating growth, complexity, and responsibility. Find the transcript and the references in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2026/02/10/when-agile-scales-something-breaks/

    42 min
  3. Invisible Hospitality: Francelina Amaral on Onboarding, Belonging, and Leadership as Service

    15 JAN

    Invisible Hospitality: Francelina Amaral on Onboarding, Belonging, and Leadership as Service

    Some leadership lessons are best learned far from meeting rooms and org charts. In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, Alexis Monville welcomes Francelina Amaral, a hospitality leader shaped by service excellence, attention to detail, and deep respect for people. Together, they explore what leaders in any industry can learn from hospitality: Why onboarding is not a checklist but invisible hospitality: preparation before arrival, small gestures, removing friction How leadership as service creates trust, safety, and conditions for others to succeed How belonging is built (and broken) through everyday actions Why discipline and standards matter, but only work when rooted in genuine care How leaders develop others by creating confidence, especially when mistakes happen A practical, human conversation about trust, ownership, and the kind of leadership that makes people feel expected, welcome, and valued. The full transcript of this episode is available in the companion blog post linked in the description, on alexis.monville.com. https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2026/01/15/invisible-hospitality-with-francelina-amaral-what-leaders-in-any-industry-can-learn-from-service-excellence/ Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership is supported by Pearlside, where we help leaders and teams create the conditions for responsibility, clarity, and impact to emerge. You can learn more at pearlside.fr.

    35 min
  4. Continuous Discovery Habits: Teresa Torres on Customer Insight, Product Tríos, and Outcome-Driven Teams

    29/06/2025

    Continuous Discovery Habits: Teresa Torres on Customer Insight, Product Tríos, and Outcome-Driven Teams

    In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, I welcome Teresa Torres, product discovery coach and author of the influential book Continuous Discovery Habits. Teresa shares how product teams can move beyond sporadic research and embed continuous customer discovery into their weekly routines. Drawing from years of coaching, teaching, and hands-on practice, she explains how teams can build better mental models of their customers, make stronger decisions, and consistently deliver outcomes rather than outputs. In this conversation, you’ll explore: Why continuous discovery is about habits, not occasional research How weekly customer conversations dramatically improve everyday decision-making The role of the Product Trio (Product, UX, Engineering) in balancing viability, desirability, and feasibility How Opportunity Solution Trees help teams stay aligned while navigating ambiguity Why leaders must shift from managing outputs to enabling outcomes and adaptability How Generative AI is reshaping product roles, collaboration, and discovery practices A must-listen for product leaders, designers, engineers, and executives navigating uncertainty and seeking more adaptive, customer-centered ways of working. Find the transcript and the references in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2025/06/29/embracing-continuous-discovery-a-conversation-with-teresa-torres/

    44 min
  5. Team Topologies Explained: The 4 Team Types, Cognitive Load, and Platform Team Behaviors with Manuel Pais

    02/06/2025

    Team Topologies Explained: The 4 Team Types, Cognitive Load, and Platform Team Behaviors with Manuel Pais

    In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, Alexis Monville speaks with Manuel Pais, organizational design practitioner and co-author of the influential book Team Topologies (with Matthew Skelton). Together they explore how modern organizations can improve flow, reduce team cognitive load, and evolve structures without relying on disruptive “big reorgs”. You will learn: The four fundamental team types from Team Topologies: Stream-aligned, Enabling, Platform, and Complicated Subsystem teams Why cognitive load limits effectiveness, delivery speed, and satisfaction — and how to identify what drives it Why team design is not about labels, but about interactions: Collaboration, Facilitation, and X-as-a-Service How Platform teams should alternate interaction modes, not become ticket factories What leaders must do to enable evolutionary change: set expectations, invest in support, and protect learning Why Manuel believes organizations should invest in dedicated “flow enablers” focused on removing bottlenecks A practical conversation for CTOs, engineering leaders, product leaders, and anyone shaping teams for sustainable delivery and employee satisfaction. Find the key findings, the references, and the transcript of the episode in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2025/06/02/unlocking-flow-and-effectiveness-a-conversation-with-manuel-pais-co-author-of-team-topologies/

    41 min
  6. Optimizing for the Unexpected: Lizard Optimization with Gojko Adzic

    29/10/2024

    Optimizing for the Unexpected: Lizard Optimization with Gojko Adzic

    In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, Alexis Monville welcomes back Gojko Adzic, renowned author and speaker in modern software delivery, named an AWS Serverless Hero (2019), and author of Impact Mapping, Specification by Example, and his latest book Lizard Optimization. Gojko shares a practical method for turning unexpected user behavior into product growth and better decisions. He calls it lizard optimization: spotting “misuse”, learning from it, and deciding whether to support it or block it. In this conversation, you will learn: Why unusual user behavior can reveal hidden value and new markets The LZRD loop: Learn, Zoom in, Remove obstacles, Detect unintended impacts How “desire lines” apply to product teams and organizations Why controlled experiments matter, and why most ideas do not create measurable value How to stop falling in love with solutions and refocus on the problem A must listen for product leaders, engineering leaders, founders, and anyone building systems where adoption, learning, and impact matter. Find the key learnings, the transcript and more in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2024/10/29/optimizing-for-the-unexpected-insights-from-gojko-adzic-on-lizard-optimization/

    33 min
  7. Leadership as First-Time Founders: Communication, Culture, and the Art of Saying No

    13/10/2024

    Leadership as First-Time Founders: Communication, Culture, and the Art of Saying No

    In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, Alexis Monville welcomes Héloïse Rozès and Nikolai Fomm, first-time founders and co-founders of Corma, a startup building the “cockpit of truth” for software access and license management — helping companies control their SaaS stack, reduce waste, and improve employee experience. From their day-to-day reality at Station F to the intensity of building a company in survival mode, Héloïse and Nikolai share what leadership really looks like when you’re learning it in real time. You’ll hear practical insights on: Adapting communication across co-founders, employees, investors, and clients Leading with empathy while still making tough calls Saying “no” to stay focused and avoid spreading the team too thin Building a value-driven culture through rituals, feedback, and programs like the Cormacolindor Using frameworks like Radical Candor to avoid ruinous empathy and make feedback useful A grounded conversation for emerging leaders, early-stage founders, and anyone building teams under uncertainty. Find the transcript and the references in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2024/10/13/leadership-as-first-time-founders-with-heloise-rozes-and-nikolai-fomm/

    22 min
  8. The Future of User Experience: Why AI Must Augment Human Judgment

    07/10/2024

    The Future of User Experience: Why AI Must Augment Human Judgment

    What if the future of user experience wasn’t about smarter AI — but better human judgment? In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, Alexis Monville welcomes Sebastian Cao, a technology and user experience leader who has held key roles at Red Hat and Tesla, and who recently designed and taught a course at Stanford University on the future of User Experience. Drawing on his experience working with frontline technicians, engineers, and product teams, Sebastian shares a clear conviction: AI should not replace human judgment, but augment it. Together, Alexis and Sebastian explore: Why prediction without judgment leads to poor UX and low adoption How empathy becomes a core engineering skill in AI-driven systems What “service augmentation” means in practice at Tesla Why transparency and explainability are essential to trust How open source plays a critical role in ethical AI adoption This episode is a deep, grounded conversation about the future of UX — where technology serves people, not the other way around. A must-listen for tech leaders, product managers, designers, and anyone shaping human-centered systems in an AI-powered world. Find the transcript and more in the companion blog post https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2024/10/07/the-future-of-user-experience-with-sebastian-cao/

    25 min
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How does leadership emerge in tech? Join Alexis Monville to explore the intersection of engineering management, culture, and organizational design. This podcast is for the manager or technical leader looking to move beyond titles. We dive into coaching strategies and practical practices that help every team collaborate with purpose. Through conversations with change-makers in the tech industry, discover how to transform your organization by leading with intention. Learn to foster a culture where leadership isn’t just management: it is an act of service that delivers results.

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