The biggest worry I had as a software engineer was my work, my accountability and the quality of what I delivered. Stepping into management, however, changed that dynamic as now I was responsible for other people’s work, accountability and quality. We all have different inspirations that propel us to deliver more and better. What worked for me may not work for another.
Key lessons I have learnt when in a leadership role are:
- Know when to disconnect
Leaders coach. They impart lessons they have learned so others can exceed and develop into leaders. However, it is key to let others make mistakes and learn from their mistakes even if you knew how to not make the same mistake. It is important to learn to not own other people’s mistakes and that is incredibly hard to do.First response when a leader recognizes someone is making a mistake is to do everything in your power to not let them make the same mistake. While, it is correct for the leader to coach another person or team but once you have advised them, it is KEY to take a step back and not own what they ultimately do. Because if they choose to ignore the advice and do it their way and fail, they own the decision, the failure and the resilience to get up after the fall. That is key in building teams that are self-managing and self-organizing. - Know the difference between enabling teams to self-manage and lack of leadership
I had a fast-learner peer. They learned that delegating responsibilities is a good thing, it enables self-managing teams. However, while delegating, it is key to know the skillset of the person asked to perform a role. Do they have the desire or the knowledge to do justice to what they are asked to do? For example, delegating a meeting facilitation is no big deal. But if you are delegating a techie to write requirements when they have not had the training or the exposure to it being done can be disastrous without guidance.Delegation does not take the place of leadership that gives clear direction on what is required from a team and when. Once the clear direction is in place, the team can pivot and make things better. However, when the direction is missing and you ask a disparate set of individuals to make key decisions, result is same as “too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the stew.” - Team is bigger than a set of high-performing individuals
Have you ever witnessed a sports team consisting of world MVP (Most Valuable Players) lose badly? Far more important than rising stars is the chemistry of a team in how it performs together – do they have each other’s back? Are they inspired by each other or are trying to tear each other down in an effort to get ahead? Because teamwork, passing the ball at the right time, thinking about the team winning above yourself winning, are traits that rise or doom a team and when in a leadership position, it is important to value a team over a set of individuals, some performing better than others. - Embellish or not to embellish
Having attended countless Team Reviews (in Sprint Reviews or Demos) I have seen countless examples of teams embellishing themselves – look at our throughput, look at our automation.
But just like offering extra praise to a toddler actually results in the toddler throwing a tantrum next time when the praise does not come through, it is important to stick to facts even when facts are less than flattering, even when the team is slipping and faltering. Because unless you shed light on the pitfalls, it will be hard to improve and shed light on the relentless improvements. So, refrain from embellishing is what experience has taught me.
All in all, becoming leaders involves caring a lot and letting go at the same time, a paradox very difficult to master. It is in knowing when to intervene and when to take a step back. It is in not fearing mistakes and failures and allowing its place in the team and in the organization.