Been a tech lead now for several years. As the name implies, this is a leadership position in a technical realm which means both, at the same time, all the time. If you don't enjoy the people side of things, this role isn't for you. Leadership is about defining direction so others can follow so if people aren't following you, you're not leading, you're just taking a walk.
This truth hit me sometime ago. Unlike managers, as a tech lead, I have to use my influence without hard power over people which means I often have to be better at it than managers. Like every other skill, if you like it and you happen to have a gift, you'll do great, but it isn't for everyone. I love this post because it outlines the actual job and what it is about. Go try it, be clear eyed what it is about, and see where it takes you.
I believe this is the norm for most senior engineers who lean toward the lead role. Being more like a team multiplier, instead of a one-person contributor.
I almost hate to say it, but if I was in this position I would probably try to write most of my code on weekends. To some degree I already do this. It's often hard for me to focus on code when Teams messages are going back and forth the whole day.
Been a tech lead now for several years. As the name implies, this is a leadership position in a technical realm which means both, at the same time, all the time. If you don't enjoy the people side of things, this role isn't for you. Leadership is about defining direction so others can follow so if people aren't following you, you're not leading, you're just taking a walk.
This truth hit me sometime ago. Unlike managers, as a tech lead, I have to use my influence without hard power over people which means I often have to be better at it than managers. Like every other skill, if you like it and you happen to have a gift, you'll do great, but it isn't for everyone. I love this post because it outlines the actual job and what it is about. Go try it, be clear eyed what it is about, and see where it takes you.
I believe this is the norm for most senior engineers who lean toward the lead role. Being more like a team multiplier, instead of a one-person contributor.
Thanks for sharing!
I almost hate to say it, but if I was in this position I would probably try to write most of my code on weekends. To some degree I already do this. It's often hard for me to focus on code when Teams messages are going back and forth the whole day.
It’s a thankless job if you still want to code.