Episode
Stop Telling Yourself You're Bad at “People Stuff”
- Podcast
- Tech Lead Journal
- Published
- Feb 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4482
- Processing state
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Summary
Think you’re just “not a people person”? Most tech leaders quietly believe this about themselves, and it’s exactly what’s holding them back. In this episode, Martijn Versteeg, founder of peer leadership community Group Effort and former CPTO with a background in organizational psychology, makes the case that it’s not: human behavior follows predictable patterns you can understand and work with, just like any system. The conversation covers a six-variable model for understanding what drives behavior and disengagement on your team, why popular personality tools like MBTI and DiSC often do more harm than good, and a clear structure for delivering bad news without the usual stress buildup. We also get into what it really takes to let go of hands-on coding when you move into leadership, why developing a product mindset matters even if product isn’t in your title, and the psychological risks of heavy AI use that most teams still aren’t thinking about. Key topics discussed: The 6 human needs that predict human behavior Why MBTI and DiSC often do more harm than good How to stop avoiding difficult conversations Deliver bad news clearly using a 10-second rule Why becoming a bottleneck is a slow career killer Building a product mindset when you’re in tech The mental health risks of heavy AI use What peer groups give you that books can’t Timestamps: (00:00:00) Trailer & Intro (00:03:06) Why Small Steps Matter More Than Career Turning Points (00:05:11) About Martijn Versteeg (00:07:01) How Can I Learn People Skills Systematically? (00:13:19) Six Human Needs That Predict Behavior (00:17:28) How Does It Compare to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? (00:19:49) Why Are Personality Tests Like MBTI Unreliable? (00:23:20) How Do I Use Pain and Pleasure to Drive Growth? (00:28:30) How Do I H…