zlib.pub_the-managers-path-a-guide-for-tech-leaders-navigating-growth-and-change

You realize that authority requires more than a title. You find yourself scrambling to motivate them through tough periods when the projects aren’t going well, or when you have to tell individuals that they aren’t ready to be promoted just yet, that they aren’t getting a raise, that there’s no bonus this year. Some of them don’t bother to tell you when they’re unhappy; they just get fed up and quit before you’ve noticed there’s anything wrong.

When the company is doing well, and you have lots of money to pay, and there are plenty of exciting projects, life is great; but when things are stressful, you see how little power you have to make people happy.

most people are not as good at following processes as they are.

most people are not as good at following processes as they are. They tend to blame all problems on a failure to follow the best process, instead of acknowledging the need for flexibility and the inevitability of unexpected changes.

Engineers who believe in the “right tool for the job” sometimes turn into process czars when they become tech leads, seeking out the right tool to solve all issues with planning, focus, time management, and prioritization. They try to stop all work while they search for the perfect process, or constantly push new tools and processes on the team as solutions to the messier problems of human interactions.

Agile Manifesto are a great summary of healthy process leadership: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan

it is impossible to do quality, thoughtful work for too many hours a week.

Everyone in your organization knows who you are, understands how valuable your work is, and is deferential to your opinions.

you can switch tracks if you want. It is common for people to try out management at some point, realize they don’t enjoy it, and go back to the technical track.

go in with your eyes wide open.

process itself can be changed to be easier to follow. It’s a waste of your time to play rules cop, and automation can often make the rules more obvious.

It’s a waste of your time to play rules cop,

It’s a waste of your time to play rules cop, and automation can often make the rules more obvious.

Understand the Architecture If you go into a tech lead role and you don’t feel that you fully understand the architecture you are supporting, take the time to understand it. Learn it. Get a sense for it. Visualize it. Understand its connections, where the data lives, how it flows between systems. Understand how it reflects the products it is supporting, where the core logic for those products lives. It’s almost impossible to lead projects well when you don’t

If you go into a tech lead role and you don’t feel that you fully understand the architecture you are supporting, take the time to understand it. Learn it. Get a sense for it. Visualize it. Understand its connections, where the data lives, how it flows between systems. Understand how it reflects the products it is supporting, where the core logic for those products lives. It’s almost impossible to lead projects well when you don’t understand the architecture you’re changing.

You want to encourage others on your team to learn the entire system, and you want to give them chances to stretch themselves, but you needn’t always be self-sacrificing in what you choose to work on. Give yourself a fun task occasionally, as long as you know you have the time to do it well.

Determine which decisions must be made by you, which decisions should be delegated to others with more expertise, and which decisions require the whole team to resolve. In all of these cases, make it clear what the matter under discussion is, and communicate the outcome.

from the pack, it’s communication skills. Successful leaders write well, they read carefully, and they can get up in front of a group and speak.

Successful leaders write well, they read carefully, and they can get up in front of a group and speak.

They pay attention in meetings and are constantly testing the limits of their knowledge and the knowledge of the team.