Some time ago, I read a good article about programmers, leadership and leaders. I felt very good, so I translated it to share with you. “Well, I’m just a programmer. Why do I need a leader?” .
Being a good leader may not be something most programmers immediately agree with. Many people immediately conjure up an image of a grand podium and soaring speeches.
However, let’s look at Seth Godin’s definition of leadership:
The secret of leadership is simple: do what you believe in and draw a vision for the future. Go there and people will follow.
Suddenly, leadership seemed available, like something anyone could do. Leadership is not reserved for those with delegated authority, such as the CEO, CTO, or company founder.
Leadership may be the missing piece that can take your career to the next big step. Leadership can also be a tool for addressing the big bugs that plague your code base.
Maybe we want to be good leaders, but what leaders do to gain their influence and respect is more subtle than it seems. Great leaders have subtle habits and behaviors that they weave into their daily interactions and relationships.
Anyway, I’m just a programmer. Why do I need a leader?
Leadership happens at all levels, not just ctos or founders. Leadership can come from any level within the organizational framework. Since most programmers are at the heart of the implementation, they have a great opportunity to notice efficiency issues and take the lead in innovation.
You can lead and code at the same time, and becoming a leader doesn’t mean giving up your day job as a programmer. A leader is a person with ideas who is brave enough to outline a vision and pursue it relentlessly. You can even lead your team toward a technical vision that ties you more closely to the development work you love, rather than pulling you away from it.
Leadership is timeless. Your ability to write code in Java, C, or Ruby may diminish over time or as the language, platform, and requirements change. It’s the ability to lead a team to success, and it’s something that people need all the time.
Leadership takes time. It takes time to develop leadership. Maybe leading a team isn’t your thing right now, but if you find yourself in a leadership position in the future and want to seize the opportunity to become a leader — it might be a good idea to prepare now.
Leadership will give you influence on the team. Got a great idea for how to improve your code base? Want to use a new programming language or framework? Have a good idea for a new product? But the harsh reality is that everyone has ideas. But those who drive change will be rewarded for taking ideas and suggestions and pushing them through decision making. Your title may be “Software Development Engineer” and you tend to fall into this identity trap. However, you are more than your title. You are hired to solve problems (admittedly, mostly with code), and in order to solve problems, you need to be able to draw on the strength and experience of others — that’s leadership. When you make a change and make an impact, you will be rewarded. Don’t wait for change — make it happen.
The heroic legendary programmer has always been a myth, no programmer can do anything alone, and software development is now a team sport. To be successful, you need to be able to surround yourself with people who support you or your team. If you can motivate a team and get them moving, your presence becomes invaluable.
As a programmer, I made a huge mistake when I first tried to become a leader: I copied the people around me. I found out painfully how naive I had been, and learned that leadership is a lot more nuanced than I initially thought.
In fact, I learned leadership lessons in the gym. I’ve been working out for over seven years, and I’ve observed a new phenomenon in every gym. It makes you laugh. They’re all doing the same moves, no matter where I go.
What do all these newbies have in common? They copy and imitate others directly.
Imagine this: you’re completing your first workout, then walk away and start your second workout. Once you leave, look back and you’ll see some new bodybuilders right behind you, mimicking your every move like shadows!
When you know little about an area, it seems to make sense to copy someone else. But, in my experience, this is a huge mistake.
In fitness training, the substance comes after the appearance. A premium gym membership may get the results you want by doing things you can’t see.
As a novice, HERE are some things I didn’t realize about premium gym membership training:
They have strategically analyzed their weaknesses
They are reinforcing their core in different ways
They focus on building mind-muscle connections
None of this is visible — these are the subtleties, just like the behavior of effective leaders.
When you look at your senior programmers or team leaders, you may not realize how much groundwork they put in behind the scenes to support and encourage the team.
The ability of an experienced programmer to drive a team at the drop of a hat isn’t built overnight — and it doesn’t matter how good they are at coding. Over the years, their influence continues to be carefully honed and carefully realized in all the teams they join.
The “copycat error” I made in my first leadership role — I copied how other people seemed to lead — created a style that was unreal, robotic and fake. I failed to observe the subtleties of leadership.
What did I miss? One simple fact: Good leaders are masters of support and persuasion.
Just observing a leader’s behavior will only give you half the picture.
As a programmer, when you want your ideas to get through, you need to be able to understand other people, their motivations and their needs in order to get the actions and changes you want.
Leaders should cultivate subtle habits
I think you’ve convinced yourself that being a leader is important to your career as a software development engineer, but how do you go about it?
Leaders control their emotions based on empathy
When we react emotionally to criticism or difficulties, the results can be hard to accept. Leaders need to be approachable so that their teammates feel they can be open and honest with them. As a leader, you want honest information, not sugar-coated embellishments.
To achieve this emotional stability, leaders have worked hard to understand how others are feeling.
Before reacting to a situation, good leaders think like this:
Why do other people feel the way they do
Why do other people behave the way they do
Why do other people say these things
For example, you might review another programmer’s code, and they might not like your feedback. An unconsidered emotional reaction could have a negative impact on your relationship.
You may be thinking, “But I’m writing these comments because I want to help them!” .
Despite such thoughts, good leaders take a moment to understand their colleagues’ point of view and realize that criticism is sometimes hard to take. Given this more empathetic response, you might calmly explain the purpose of the requested change and might even offer to pair program.
2. Leaders build personal relationships
Informal and personal discussions to build trust.
Group “team building” has its uses. Great leaders not only spend time in a team environment, but also seek one-on-one, high-quality communication with team members. Personal to personal time gives you the opportunity to connect with someone on a more meaningful and personal level, which builds trust between you.
Pair programming is another important opportunity to build this one-on-one trust. Sit with other team members and help them get the job done together. Share your knowledge with them and be patient and understanding.
Coding can be a pretty lonely game. Try to find opportunities to spend some time away from the keyboard with your teammates. Have lunch together, or spark a conversation about weekend plans before they put on headphones and dive into code. These small investments in building relationships will pay off in the long run.
3. Leaders Don’t Judge
Leaders expect thoughtful risk-takers to work for them, and they want to surround themselves with people who are self-driven.
In order to help better, leaders don’t evaluate or mock the decisions of those around them, which reduces their power and influence.
What happens when your teammates accidentally commit code they shouldn’t? Would you condemn them? Calling them idiots in public? Or clean them up privately and even admit that you’ve made the same mistake many times?
Be humble and go far.
4. Leaders give feedback
Leaders prioritize others.
Leaders provide feedback to colleagues in constructive ways to support their growth. They have the best interests of the team at heart.
As a programmer, opportunities to provide feedback are everywhere: the hardest part is having the courage to express your feelings in a constructive way.
When a team member leads a formal meeting, an agile stand-up, a review, etc., take the opportunity to provide some insight into what you think is good and what can be improved.
Remember, the core of good feedback is willingness — you want other teammates or programmers to know that you’re giving feedback because you want to help them.
5. Generous and public praise from leaders
Leaders are more powerful when they appear positive. If you are a person full of life, you will be missed when you are gone. When you see someone do something amazing, make a big point of it, and do it publicly.
Praise has the biggest impact on a team. Well, public praise builds the confidence of the person you praise and gives others the opportunity to emulate the behavior and get the same praise.
A good time to praise – including Agile planning sessions, daily standups, and review sessions.
To become a qualified leader: you can build these small habits every day to invest in themselves, consciously self-reflection, and remind yourself to want to show the behavior of may before you realize, you will show these subtle habits, and will find others flocking to you for advice, support and opportunities. Soon, you will find that your career has taken a big step forward.