Avoiding Backseat-Leaders — Effective Leadership in Software Development
Leaders need to be hands-on, every day.
Many organizations believe that strong soft skills and an ability to lead people far overshadows technical expertise when managing technical teams.
But, let me tell you, you can’t effectively lead developers if you aren’t a developer yourself. It’s as simple as that.
One of the most absurd scenarios in corporate environments is witnessing “leaders” or bosses who lack the same technical background as the teams they oversee.
Having non-technical people leading developer teams often seems like a comical mismatch. Non-technical bosses think ‘We need this by Friday!’ is a motivational speech. Conversely, technical team members may struggle to respect leaders who don’t understand the ins and outs of their craft.
There’s almost nothing worse than having a boss who doesn’t comprehend what you do, how you do it, or why you do it.
As a software developer, I guess you know exactly what type of “leader” I’m referring to.
Tech-leaders need to be individual contributors (ICs) as well.
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