Programmers come with a wide range of skill sets, hail from many countries and cultures, and can have differing backgrounds and experiences. Nevertheless, certain qualities can mean the difference between a great programmer and someone who’s not so great. Here are 10 things to look for when hiring a programmer. Curiosity Curiosity Great programmers never accept things "as is"; they need to poke deep inside something, even when it appears to be working fine, to learn more. This is how many problems are solved before they are problems, and it's usually the quickest way to fix acute issues. A programmer without this mentality will usually end up lacking the knowledge underlying why they are doing what they are doing, which means they're working with blinders on. Unless candidates are very shy,their curiosity, if they have it, will show strongly during [+]

Leading Geeks is different from leading other employees for three reasons

Geeks are different from other people Geekwork is different from other work Power is useless with geeks

Myth #1: Leadership is universal. Good leaders treat everyone alike.

Truth: If you want to lead someone, start out by understanding them. Geeks are just simply different from other people.

Geeks are more loyal to technology than they are to you Insatiable curiosity Geeks revere the rational

Myth #2: If you know a tree, you understand a forest.

Truth: Groups are not just a collection of individuals.

Geeks ignore official hierarchy. Deliberately Ambivalence about groups

Myth #3: Good leaders can lead anyone to do anything.

Truth: What you would lead people to do affects how you [+]