Mayada Fahim: From Engineer to Head of Engineering, Building Teams, Culture and Leadership

From Leadership Kitchen · 00:31:09

Show by Renita Käsper

In this episode of Leadership Kitchen, I sit down with Mayada Fahim, Head of Engineering at JOIN, to talk about her journey from software engineer to leading an engineering organization of around 50 people, building high-performing teams, hiring for culture, women in engineering, and what great engineering leadership really looks like.Mayada grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, and knew from a very young age that she wanted to become an engineer. After starting her career as a software engineer in Egypt, she moved to Berlin looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to learn in a more international environment. Eight years later, she is still at JOIN, having grown from software engineer to Head of Engineering.Together we explore:• Why Mayada left Egypt for Berlin and what she learned from starting over in a new country• How she went from software engineer to Head of Engineering by taking initiative and solving problems beyond her role• Why great teams start with hiring for culture and mindset, not just technical skills• The surprising reality of becoming a manager and why leadership results can take months to show• Why engineering leaders need to stay hands-on, especially in the age of AI• Women in engineering, imposter syndrome, and the problem with being treated as a diversity token• Why new managers shouldn't rush to change everything in their first 90 days• How great leaders build trust, stay close to their teams, and create a culture where people want to performAnd of course, Mayada shares her Leadership Recipe:🥄 Stay close to your team🥄 Stay hands-on and understand what your people are experiencing🥄 Build the environment and tools that enable people to deliverBecause leadership isn't about changing everything the moment you become a manager. It's about understanding your people, earning their trust, creating the right culture, and giving them the environment to do their best work.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Leadership Kitchen00:40 From Alexandria to engineering and moving to Berlin02:28 Finding an engineering role in a new country03:48 Why Mayada chose JOIN05:15 Becoming an engineer and the influence of childhood06:38 How we can encourage more women into engineering07:30 Mayada's favorite food and Egyptian cooking09:07 From software engineer to engineering leader10:40 Building a new team and hiring different profiles12:50 Taking initiative and earning your leadership role14:12 The surprising reality of becoming a manager16:00 Why great teams start with hiring18:09 Do engineering managers still need to be technical?19:27 How AI is changing engineering leadership20:25 Supporting women in engineering22:13 Imposter syndrome and proving yourself24:58 Advice for new engineering managers: the first 90 days28:10 What makes a great engineering leader?29:46 Mayada's Leadership Recipe30:37 Final reflections and closingThe conversation covers engineering leadership, career growth, hiring, culture, AI, women in tech, imposter syndrome, change management, and why great leaders stay close enough to their teams to understand what is really happening.Connect with Mayada Fahim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayada-fahim/Connect with Renita Käsper:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakasper/Follow Leadership Kitchen for more conversations on leadership, AI, hiring, founder journeys, and building teams across cultures and borders:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-kitchen/

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