The CTO Playbook

Adam Horner
  • 5.0 (6)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join Adam Horner, a CTO with over 30 years in the tech industry, on The CTO Playbook — the podcast dedicated to helping CTOs excel. Perfect for CTOs and tech leaders navigating the complexities of their roles, each episode offers clear insights, innovative strategies, and practical advice from top leaders in tech. With Adam’s extensive experience mentoring engineers and tech leaders, and over a decade as a CTO, you’ll gain the tools and knowledge to build and refine your own CTO playbook. Whether you're tackling complex projects, fostering innovation, leading teams, or shaping your company's tech strategy, this podcast is your go-to resource. Adam’s journey from engineer to strategic CTO was challenging. He learned through the school of hard knocks, making avoidable mistakes and facing countless challenges. Often out of his comfort zone and wishing for more guidance, he created this podcast to provide the support and advice he once lacked. Tune in for engaging interviews, leadership tips, and the latest in technology strategy. Each episode is designed to help you lead with confidence and level up as a CTO. Listen now to start your journey with The CTO Playbook and build your own playbook to excel in your role.

  1. 4D AGO

    60: What Do You Do When No One’s Watching? The Truth About Proactive Leadership

    Build your own CTO Playbook at our website — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact. Proactivity isn’t an all-or-nothing game.  In this episode, I break down the myth that leaders are either “proactive” or “reactive” and share why even small, flickering moments of foresight can put you ahead. I get into what happens when you’re forced into reactive mode and how to inject just a bit of proactivity into those moments so they don’t derail you. I talk about the “pressure off” test, those quiet weeks when your defaults show up, and how to use them to reset your habits. I wrap up with five practical steps you can start this week to shift from constant firefighting to being seen as a steady, strategic leader. You’ll Learn: The real reason proactivity isn’t a fixed leadership traitWhat a flickering light bulb can teach you about staying aheadWhy just 5% more foresight each week changes how your team sees youHow to inject proactive moves into high-pressure, reactive situationsThe quiet damage of coasting during “pressure off” weeksWhat the “pressure off” test reveals about your default leadership modePractical ways to prepare for outages and crises before they happenThe surprising link between military “go bags” and tech leadership readinessHow to turn firefighting moments into long-term strategic winsFive simple steps to build steady, visible proactivity into your week Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [05:00] Busting the myth of proactive vs reactive leadership [06:14] The flickering light bulb analogy for building proactivity [07:55] Injecting proactive actions into reactive situations [09:59] Building your leadership “go bag” for crises [11:42] The pressure off test and why quiet weeks matter [13:50] Using downtime to reset strategic habits [14:56] Five steps to increase consistent proactivity [18:45] Why small, steady choices outweigh perfection Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    20 min

  2. SEP 1

    59: The Future of the CTO: Etienne de Bruin on Leadership, Liquid & Lasting Impact

    Build your own CTO Playbook at our website — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact. What if the hardest part of being a CTO isn’t about the technology at all, but learning to lead without a map?  In this episode, I’m joined by Etienne de Bruin, founder of Seven CTOs and CTO Levels, and co-author of the upcoming book Liquid. For more than a decade, Etienne has worked with CTOs navigating the shift from hands-on coding to executive leadership. We talk about the moment he realized his value wasn’t in the code anymore, how he built a peer network to fill the gaps he couldn’t see, and the pivotal lessons that shaped his approach to coaching. Etienne also shares the thinking behind Liquid, exploring how CTOs can find balance between chaos and rigidity while mastering the four “sentinels” every tech leader needs to succeed. You’ll Learn: What it feels like to be pushed or pulled out of the codebase as a CTOThe real reason Etienne founded Seven CTOs and why most early members walked awayHow ontological coaching changes the way CTOs solve problems and influence outcomesThe quiet damage of solving the wrong problem when your influence goes uncheckedThe four “sentinels” every CTO must master to earn trust at the executive tableWhy balancing “boiling” chaos and “frozen” rigidity can make or break a tech teamThe surprising link between financial fluency and a CTO’s long-term successHow the Levels framework reveals capability gaps that stall growthWhat happens when a CTO builds genuine alignment with sales and product leaders Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [06:58] The challenge of stepping away from coding into leadership [14:00] Building a startup and the moment to stop coding [17:57] Creating Seven CTOs and the need for peer groups [27:15] How ontological coaching transforms CTO problem solving [37:14] The core role of a CTO and the importance of financial fluency [45:11] The concept of Liquid and navigating boiling vs frozen states [47:59] The four sentinels every CTO must manage [53:54] Using the Levels framework to diagnose capability gaps You can connect with Etienne on LinkedIn. Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    1h 2m

  3. AUG 25

    58: You’re Not Leading If You’re Not Listening – Wesley Eugene on Empathy and Influence

    Build your own CTO Playbook at our website — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact. What if your most important leadership skill had nothing to do with technology, and everything to do with how people feel?  In this episode, I’m joined by Wesley Eugene, SVP at HIT Global and former CIO at IDEO. Wesley’s career has taken him from building computers in college to leading technology and transformation for some of the world’s most innovative companies. At HIT Global, he’s helping usher in a new way of thinking about tech leadership with a framework built entirely around human-first principles. We talk about the moments in his career that drove home the power of trust, relationships, and empathy in technology. Wesley shares how human-centered design, storytelling, and a focus on real-world experiences can transform how leaders guide their teams and serve their customers. This is a conversation about leading people, not just managing processes. You’ll Learn: The leadership shift that happens when you treat experience as your North StarWhy telling better stories with data wins more than just argumentsThe surprising power of empathy as a competitive edge in tech leadershipHow radical candor transforms the way feedback is given and receivedThe quiet damage of outsourcing critical customer experiencesWhat it feels like to lead through a global crisis with trust as your main currencyThe link between human-centered design and faster, smoother transformationsWhy going analog can unlock your most creative and strategic thinkingHow to anchor digital transformation in moments that truly matter to people Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [05:58] Starting in tech through service desk work and early career moves [08:56] Driving digital transformation and workforce reskilling at Aflac [09:58] Leading secure remote transitions during the pandemic through trust and relationships [12:57] Frameworks that shaped leadership including TBM and radical candor [17:49] Immersion in human-centered design at Aflac and IDEO [21:01] Realizing the importance of designing for real-world user experiences [25:02] Breaking down the Human First playbook principles [34:09] The role of unplugging and analog thinking in creativity and leadership Resources Mentioned: Technology Business Management Council | Website Radical Candor by Kim Scott | Book or Audiobook Radical Respect by Kim Scott | Book or Audiobook Want to learn how to lead with empathy, design, and story at the core? You can connect with Wesley on LinkedIn, where he is building the Humanising IT™ movement; training, certifying, and coaching the next generation of human-first tech leaders. Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    41 min

  4. AUG 18

    57: Why Leaders Fail to Grow — Even When They’re Doing Everything ‘Right’

    Build your own CTO Playbook at our website — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact. What if the very habits that once made you successful are now holding you back? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ravi Iyer, a physician, scientist, and leader with over four decades of experience in medicine, research, and hospital leadership. His work has taken him from studying molecular immunology at Harvard to serving as Chairman of a Department of Medicine, and his career has been driven by one relentless question: how do you make life work when it doesn’t? We dig into why our brains cling to patterns, how those patterns can trap even the smartest leaders, and what it really takes to see beyond the “menu” of our past playbooks so we can actually taste the meal of life. This is a conversation about awareness, choice, and breaking free from default thinking, both in leadership and in life. You’ll Learn: The real reason even accomplished leaders cling to outdated playbooksWhat happens when life stops matching the patterns you’ve always relied onThe link between an amoeba’s behavior and human decision-makingWhy subconscious “choices” are actually compulsions in disguiseHow success can lock you into strategies that block future growthThe two forces powerful enough to break a leader’s mental resistanceWhy chasing novelty can become just another limiting patternThe quiet damage of confusing the “menu” for the actual “meal” of lifeHow to use sensory deprivation to break stale relational or leadership habitsWhat it feels like to lead from the space that contains all your options Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [03:02] The lifelong question that shaped a career in science and medicine [06:46] How pattern matching drives human behavior and decision-making [11:41] Lessons from a grandfather on reframing problems and breaking patterns [17:08] Why subconscious choices limit freedom and success [24:54] How successful playbooks create plateaus in leadership growth [28:01] The “menu vs meal” analogy and the search for real experience [33:42] Using sensory deprivation to reset relationships and leadership habits [39:24] Applying new data collection methods to break organizational patterns [42:51] Why personal experience should guide your ultimate playbook Get a FREE copy of Dr. Ravi Iyer’s digital books here. If you want to connect more with Dr. Ravi, follow him on LinkedIn. Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    47 min

  5. AUG 11

    56: 14 Things Great CTOs Stop Doing (And You Should Too)

    Build your own CTO Playbook at our website — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact. Stop Doing These 14 Things If You Want to Be a Great CTO  I’m not adding to your to-do list—I’m flipping it. These are the habits that keep you reactive, overwhelmed, or straight-up invisible to the rest of the exec team. I walk through the traps that I see CTOs fall into again and again, from packing your calendar like a bad game of Tetris to leading every decision and chasing every shiny trend. These aren’t theories. They’re mistakes I’ve coached dozens of tech leaders through—and screwed up myself too. You’ll Learn: The real reason packing your calendar wall-to-wall kills strategic thinkingWhat happens when you delegate tasks but not decisionsThe quiet damage of assuming your team understands the company visionWhy translating tech into business outcomes changes your exec team influenceThe simple phrase that makes hard feedback easier to hear and act onWhat it feels like to stop chasing trends and start trusting fundamentalsThe surprising link between avoiding trade-offs and leadership gridlockHow overusing jargon weakens your clarity and authorityWhat most CTOs get wrong about culture—and how to fix itWhy punishing mistakes kills innovation faster than any bad process Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [03:06] Why filling every hour kills your ability to lead [04:15] The problem with working without strategic alignment [05:01] Delegating tasks vs delegating decisions [06:41] What happens when people don’t understand the vision [07:50] How to translate engineering into business language [08:55] Why leading with opinion weakens your credibility [10:00] The cost of chasing every shiny trend [11:00] You can’t scale if you lead everything alone [12:58] How to have hard conversations and handle feedback [13:54] Why jargon destroys clarity and influence [14:50] What culture is actually made of [15:36] Stop punishing mistakes if you want innovation [16:31] The danger of forcing rigid frameworks [17:29] How indecision leads to gridlock [18:49] Quick-fire recap of the 14 habits to stop Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    21 min

  6. AUG 4

    55: CTO Leadership Secrets: The Power of IQ, EQ, and FQ with Faris Aranki

    Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Are you managing your individual contributors in a way that fuels growth, performance, and alignment? In this episode, I’m talking with Faris Aranki, founder of Shiageto Consulting, about leading individual contributors through regular one-on-one meetings. Faris brings a wealth of experience from his career in strategy consulting and leadership coaching. We dive into a proven system for structuring these meetings to keep performance management simple, effective, and human-centered. We explore how to align individual performance with company goals, why weekly check-ins are crucial, and how to integrate these meetings into your larger performance frameworks. Faris also shares how building rapport and listening actively can lead to stronger relationships with your team, ensuring that growth is both continuous and aligned with the broader mission. You’ll Learn: The real reason weekly one-on-ones are critical for individual contributor successWhy a rolling agenda document is your most powerful tool in building trust and accountabilityHow to use silence strategically in one-on-one meetings to encourage deeper conversationThe quiet damage of neglecting active listening in engineering teamsWhat it feels like to lead with empathy and get results without micromanagingHow to align individual performance with company goals through simple, structured conversationsThe surprising link between personal development plans and long-term organizational successWhy you should avoid status updates in one-on-ones and focus on personal growthHow asking the right questions based on learning styles can level up your coaching approach Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [06:30] The impact of the rolling agenda document on trust and accountability [08:00] How to structure one-on-ones to focus on personal growth and alignment [10:15] The role of silence in encouraging deeper conversations [12:00] How active listening can strengthen team communication and trust [16:30] Using the VARK model to tailor coaching to individual learning styles [19:10] How to integrate weekly, quarterly, and annual meetings into a performance management system [22:50] The benefits of focusing on experience over output in one-on-one meetings [25:00] Handling performance improvement plans and documentation for legal clarity [28:30] How to use one-on-ones to build influence and promote personal development [32:00] The importance of aligning individual goals with company objectives [34:50] Best practices for conducting quarterly and annual performance reviews Resources Mentioned: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni | Book or Audiobook Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek | Book or Audiobook Hanlon's Razor | Principle Movie: Moneyball You can connect with Faris on LinkedIn or take the Shiageto effectiveness assessment here. Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    45 min

  7. JUL 28

    54: CTO Secrets to Scaling Fast: Lessons from COVID, Culture & Code with Peter Wong

    Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Are you managing individual contributors the best way possible?  In this episode, I sit down with Peter Wong, a seasoned CTO, to discuss how to lead individual contributors effectively with a structured and personalized approach. You’ll hear how weekly one-on-one meetings, a simple but powerful rolling agenda, and understanding how each person learns can take performance management from stressful to seamless. We dive into how this method helps you align your team with company goals, nurture personal growth, and create trust—ensuring the continuous development of your engineering team, one conversation at a time. This approach ensures clarity and consistency, allowing your team to thrive. You’ll Learn: Why weekly one-on-one meetings are more powerful than lengthier sessionsThe real reason a rolling agenda can transform your leadership approachHow to foster trust and build rapport by simply listening more than speakingWhat happens when you tailor your questions to how each person learnsThe surprising link between performance management and building personal connectionsWhy writing things down in meetings isn’t just a formality—it’s a trust-builderThe quiet damage of skipping regular check-ins with your teamWhat it feels like to have an annual review with zero surprisesThe key to making performance feedback feel like a natural progressionHow to use small actions like weekly meetings to drive big results over time Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [05:25] How to build trust through active listening in one-on-ones [06:45] Tailoring questions to different learning styles for better coaching [08:05] The value of writing things down in meetings [09:20] Structuring one-on-one meetings for maximum impact [11:15] Keeping feedback focused on personal growth [12:40] The power of regular check-ins for performance momentum [14:05] Linking weekly meetings to quarterly and annual reviews [15:35] Using the VARK model to understand how your team learns [17:10] Handling performance improvement plans effectively [21:00] Simplifying annual reviews with structured feedback [22:45] Making performance reviews a natural progression [28:05] The role of a structured approach in leadership [30:10] Why a rolling agenda document is a game-changer You can connect with Peter and learn more about his work through his LinkedIn and website. Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    35 min

  8. JUL 21

    53: Why Most Tech Managers Fail at Feedback (and How Top CTOs Fix It)

    Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Are you getting the most out of your individual contributors? In this episode, I sit down with Matan Kubovsky to dive into the art of managing individual contributors through weekly one-on-one meetings. Matan shares his experience and a proven system for leading teams with consistency, clarity, and alignment. This method isn’t just about project updates—it’s about shaping growth and connecting each person’s role to the broader organizational mission.  We cover how to structure meetings, build trust, and set the right cadence to keep momentum going. Matan also discusses how to track progress with a rolling agenda and how to use the VARK learning model to tailor coaching to the team’s learning styles. Whether leading a small team or guiding team leads, this episode is packed with actionable insights to make performance management smoother and more effective. You’ll Learn: The real reason weekly one-on-ones are the most powerful tool for individual contributor growthWhat happens when you set the right cadence for meetings and stick to itThe surprising link between active listening and building trust with your teamWhy silence in meetings can be your secret weapon to get more from your teamHow to use the VARK model to tailor coaching and accelerate learningThe quiet damage of losing momentum by meeting less than once a weekWhat it feels like to lead with clarity by aligning individual performance with company goalsWhy recording your one-on-one meetings can build confidence and create valuable evidenceThe key difference between a mission statement and a personal development planHow to avoid the performance review “surprise” by keeping a rolling agenda document Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [06:30] Why many engineering teams lack performance management skills [08:05] The problem with annual performance reviews [09:35] How feedback frequency impacts team performance [11:10] The Start/Stop/Continue framework explained [13:25] The need for weekly one-on-one meetings with individual contributors [16:05] Why silence in meetings can drive more meaningful conversations [19:15] How to help engineers improve their listening and communication skills [21:40] The importance of shifting focus from output to experience in meetings [25:00] Why keeping a rolling agenda document is essential for tracking progress [30:20] How to structure quarterly reviews and set goals for the next quarter Resources Mentioned: McKinsey Research | Website You can connect with Matan through his Linkedin or schedule a meeting to learn more here. Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

    41 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Join Adam Horner, a CTO with over 30 years in the tech industry, on The CTO Playbook — the podcast dedicated to helping CTOs excel. Perfect for CTOs and tech leaders navigating the complexities of their roles, each episode offers clear insights, innovative strategies, and practical advice from top leaders in tech. With Adam’s extensive experience mentoring engineers and tech leaders, and over a decade as a CTO, you’ll gain the tools and knowledge to build and refine your own CTO playbook. Whether you're tackling complex projects, fostering innovation, leading teams, or shaping your company's tech strategy, this podcast is your go-to resource. Adam’s journey from engineer to strategic CTO was challenging. He learned through the school of hard knocks, making avoidable mistakes and facing countless challenges. Often out of his comfort zone and wishing for more guidance, he created this podcast to provide the support and advice he once lacked. Tune in for engaging interviews, leadership tips, and the latest in technology strategy. Each episode is designed to help you lead with confidence and level up as a CTO. Listen now to start your journey with The CTO Playbook and build your own playbook to excel in your role.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Horner
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024-2025
  • Show Website
    The CTO Playbook

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