From individual contributor to leader

Insight on how to seamlessly evolve from one to the other

As someone who mentors senior software developers in their career growth, I have some version of this conversation over and over:

“I want to grow in my career, I am thinking about expanding into leadership. I know I’m a great individual contributor and I think I’d really enjoy leading as well.”

And of course, I have to respond with: “Ok, great…but here’s the catch - in order to evolve into something new, you are going to have to leave something behind.”

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This is the moment where we feel the most tension. For those of us who are high performers, hold ourselves to a high standard, and have achieved some measure of success in a certain position - in order to continue to grow, we will have to intentionally place ourselves in situations where we have never been before - new skills are needed and we may not knock it out of the park from day one.

This, more than anything, is what I find holds back some of the most talented developers I have.

The truth is, if you are moving from an independent contributor, where your SOLE role is to stay on top of all the newest developments in your tech stack and solve the problems that others cannot, the shift to more of a leadership role is going to cost you.

Yes, you will still retain your coding skills, and you can continue to stay sharp, but there just won’t be as much time and energy available for that- you will have to let go of that identity in order to adopt a new one: leader.

Now, no one is making you - you are always more than welcome to stay in your current role, but here’s the thing: When we KNOW that it’s time to evolve, grow, take the leap - the longer we procrastinate and hesitate, the more painful it becomes.

Like a snake that has outgrown it’s skin - the discomfort will become unbearable at some point - so let’s talk about how to make the transition.

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From brick layer to general contractor

When we think about the shift from individual contributor to leader - we can think of it in the same way someone might go from a brick layer to a general contractor. In the brick layer roll, you are doing a lot of the work to get the building up. Line by line, brick by brick.

A general contractor probably COULD lay some bricks if they needed to, and they certainly know what kinds of materials they need to build properly, but they aren’t doing the bulk of the work - they are taking on the responsibility to make sure the work gets done. General contractors also interface with the client, make sure supplies are there, plans are followed, deadlines are met and the product delivered is what it’s supposed to be.

Let Go, Keep, Add

Whenever there is a shift from individual contributor to leader we must ask three questions.

1. What part of my old role am I letting go of?

2. What part of my old role can I keep?

3. What do I need to add to step into the new role?

Letting go

When making a shift to leadership, what is most likely going to need to be let go of, is doing the bulk of the actual work. Coding, tickets, bugs etc.

Not because you can’t, but because the more the team relies on you to deliver code, the less available you will be for some of the new responsibilities that come with leadership. Stepping back from doing the bulk of the work also gives others on your team a chance to shine and develop their own skills.

Keep

Just like a general contractor is still on the job site on a daily basis - you will still be close to the project, be in the code, probably doing pull reviews and staying in very close contact with the progress of each part of the project.

It’s also important that the leader owns the most complex parts of the code and understands how it’s built.

And finally, the leader is tasked with maintaining the standards within the team. Making sure things are documented clearly and everything is logged and monitored, tested and reviewed. Holding a hard edge around excellence.

Add

Here’s the fun part, leaders have to add three things:

1. Responsible for the end product. This means taking a few steps back, thinking about what could possibly go wrong, creating contingency plans that would keep those unforeseen obstacles from derailing the entire project. Aggressively seeking out the client’s feedback to continue to sty on track. Connecting with those on your team regularly so you know the status of each piece of the project.

2. Responsible for the team’s growth and output. This means connecting and maybe even having 1:1 meetings with members of your team. Not just for project related updates, but to see and know them as people, to support their growth and understand where they might have weak spots.

3. Expand your capacity to handle stress. When you are a leader, you are not only dealing with your own stress, but the stress of everyone on your team. Expanding your capacity to sit with someone who is upset and stay clear headed is important. It takes discipline, self-control and self-mastery and may require some additional emotional intelligence, self awareness or other regulation tools, but a leader who is driven by pure emotion is not going to be effective for long.

Is the cost worth it?

After having an honest conversation about what the “next move” into leadership might look like, it’s always worth asking: Is the cost worth it?

The things that must be given up, the skills that need to be added, the increase in responsibility - it’s all a cost - however, projects rise and fall on good leadership. The thrill of pressing in, taking the reigns, leading well (even if it’s uncomfortable at first) and feeling the growth that is possible when you have the courage to release an old identity might just be absolutely worth it.

Regardless of how your career moves, I hope this exploration increases your gratitude for good leaders and invites you to consider if there is growth in your future and what it might look like to expand into it.

Have you ever considered leadership? What has held you back? What feels exciting to you?