LauraMac Team Spotlight: Christopher “Woot” Wooten
Title: Principal Software Architect
Location: Denver, CO
ABOUT YOUR JOB
What do you do day to day?
My primary role is to make the technology we build at LauraMac scalable and ensure it aligns with our company’s vision. We are a mission-driven organization and LauraMac’s vision is to be the leading technology provider for companies in the mortgage space who rely on data to make decisions. It’s my job to take this vision and drive change in our software to make it a reality.
What are some essential traits you need for your field?
Part of what I love about this role is that it’s important to have both left and right brain giftings. A lot of my time is spent engaging with the business side of the company and then working to translate those conversations and business objectives into technical details for my team. I’ve learned that listening well is crucial to understand what our stakeholders are trying to achieve. Technical acumen is important but leveraging strong soft skills to bridge the gap between the technical and non-technical is a key to success.
GENERAL LIFE
What would your younger self think of you today?
My younger self would be very surprised to find that I’m in a leadership role. I had a misconception that an aggressive “alpha” mentality was necessary to be a successful leader – and that’s not me. However, I eventually realized that my definition of leadership was far too narrow. A variety of different giftings are relevant and important for leaders. Learning to recognize my own gifts and how they can allow me to lead in a unique way changed my perspective and the trajectory of my career. I think my younger self would be proud of who I’ve become and the impact I’m able to have on the people around me.
What is your dream travel destination?
My dream travel destination is returning to a place I’ve been to before. My wife and I would really like to take an extended bucket list trip to Spain. We only spent a couple of days in the country, but while we were there it just clicked for us. We have even contemplated living in Valencia for a while. What really resonated with us was that Spain feels like it has such a vibrancy while not being as overwhelming as other places we’ve visited. The people are so kind and there is so much to enjoy from the shopping, art, architecture, and the incredible food. We hope to continue engaging with the culture, seeing the sites, and eating our way through the country as soon as we can.
Woot and family.
ABOUT YOUR CAREER
What is the best advice you’ve received?
In my previous company, I was able to attend a leadership development course that emphasized the importance of leading out of my values. Rather than seeing leadership as predominantly focused on getting people to do tasks or behave in a certain way, I learned it’s vital that my actions and decisions be driven by what I consider to be important in life. This totally changed my view of leadership and continues to shape how I interact with people in my day-to-day now.
Looking back, what was the most pivotal moment in your career that shaped your path?
The last big career jump I made was as a software developer and started the process of becoming the leader I am today. I stumbled into a new job at a mortgage company where I ended up staying for quite some time. I was given an opportunity to learn from an executive mentor and two senior developers, which created a perfect environment for me to grow. While some might consider a lateral jump unwise, I learned that having the right leadership and amazing peers changes everything. Now, I strive to be the kind of leader that has that impact on others.