The Rules of Engagement: Leslie Hawthorn at TEDxStuttgart

Open source software development methodologies may be unknown to many, but their successful implementation enables much of the technology everyone uses daily. Most remarkable about the success of the open source model is that its participants are so successful in their endeavors despite the fact that they are largely a quirky and very introverted group of people. An armchair geek anthropologist and expert community manager, Leslie has spent more than a decade observing the nuances of successful collaboration and effective leadership that follow a strict but unwritten set of rules for engagement in both social and technical communications. Attendees need not know anything about software engineering, but will leave having learned valuable leadership lessons from those for whom social engineering is one of their least refined skills.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)