Myth: Engineers Can’t Be Great Leaders of People

Most technical leaders begin as brilliant individual contributors. They are the master coders, the stellar problem solvers and the “go to” expert engineers in their domain. Then one day an opportunity comes along for them to lead a technical team. They dive in, only to learn the things they did to be successful as an individual contributor, aren’t working as a leader of people. The challenges they face are very different.

Moving into technical leadership requires articulating the big picture vision. It also entails building, managing and inspiring complex teams of talented individuals, and getting results through team collaboration. 

Yet many technical leaders of people are challenged with problems such as disengaged talent, unresolved conflict, lack of collaboration or low morale.  

The good news is that engineers, programmers and other technical gurus can rise to these challenges and become extraordinary leaders who inspire their people, lead engaged and collaborative teams, and deliver on-time results. 

This is most often achieved with deliberate work and focus on developing strong “people skills.”

Technical leaders need awesome people skills to be great leaders, and here are 4 important ones.

1. Manage yourself well first

I once had a job at a tech company with a C-level executive who was known for being unpredictable. We never knew how he was going to show up. 

In each of his meetings, he would choose one person in the room to criticize in front of everyone else, so each person sat on pins and needles hoping it wasn't going to be them. It didn't feel so great when my number was up, but after the meeting, I chose to do something no one else did. 

I took a risk and kindly, but firmly, confronted him about it. Much to my surprise, he wasn't aware of how he was coming off. The consequence of his behavior was causing anxiety among the team members. That anxiety then caused teammates to blame each other for setbacks rather that working together to solve problems. 

This executive had not learned to manage himself and his emotions well, and the shadow he was casting was negatively impacting the team and the health of the project.

The truth is, the moods and emotions of a leader impact their people.

 Great technical leaders develop an awareness of how they are feeling. Although this sounds “touchy feely” it is important data to have. Knowing how you are feeling leads to better leadership decisions. For example, if I’m feeling tired, I may choose to put off big decisions until I have a clearer head. If I’m feeling anxious about a project, I may choose to appropriately verbalize it and build trust with my team.   

Knowing what hot buttons lead to negative emotions is also a critical leadership skill. That information can be used to pro-actively plan for how to respond appropriately when those inevitable triggers come up – helping a leader to manage themselves well.

2. Coach people, don’t dictate

Gone are the days when doing your job meant having all the right answers. Rapid change and disruption are the new norm. In this reality, command and control technical leadership just doesn’t work.  

In today’s technical climate, leaders can be the smartest person in the room by not being the smartest person in the room.

I’ve observed tech leaders who are afraid to hand over idea generation and decisions to their people in favor of calling all the shots themselves. Attempts to coach their people are overshadowed by looming deadlines and the fear of failure. Unfortunately, it leads to low morale and eventually the loss of good talent.

Technical leaders need to engage their people by empowering and guiding them. Leaders who coach, ask questions rather than give answers. By doing this, their people learn, adapt and get creative.

This facilitates the growth of individuals and leads to higher engagement. Higher engagement leads to better productivity and better outcomes.

3. Harness and leverage conflict

I once coached a technical leader who wanted to be liked by all his people. While that seems noble, it caused conflict avoidance behavior.  

That lead to missed expectations and delayed projects. Not to mention, the morale of the team quickly declined while obvious problems were not being addressed. It was a lose-lose situation.

Although conflict is difficult to deal with in the moment, it can be harnessed and leveraged for good. Often what leaders think will be a difficult conversation with an employee, turns out to be one of the most productive. 

Providing constructive feedback, delivering difficult messages, and resolving conflict quickly, helps people to grow and develop. Additionally, it builds trust and respect as others observe your willingness to address the sticky people issues.

Conflict can also be used by leaders to strengthen ideas. Too often, teams of engineers come together and politely agree on a path, only to engage in passive-aggressive hallway talk after the meeting. 

Great technical leaders facilitate productive disagreements by creating safe environments for vetting ideas. They challenge ideas without assaulting individuals.

This can be accomplished through a variety of facilitation techniques, but what is most important is for the leader to set the tone. When others observe the leader allowing their own ideas to be challenged without getting defensive, it sets an important precedent that leads to innovative and fresh ideas.

4. Clearly articulate your vision

Engineers are excellent at understanding all the details that make up their elegant solution. 

Technical leaders need to take this a step further by connecting those details to the big picture without getting in the weeds. This, in turn, helps their team contribute to achieving the company vision.

The most effective technical leaders inspire action in their teams through articulating a story that resonates.

This shows the team the contrast between “what is” and “what could be” both for the company and for their customers. 

When teams of engineers understand the “why” behind what they are doing and have a clear sense of the end goal, they thrive.

When investing time and effort in these 4 important leadership skills, engineers CAN become great leaders. Like any skill, it takes an investment of time, effort, and the will to do it well. Having someone to help you get there can make all the difference.

I have a passion for leveraging my experience and expertise both in technology and leadership development coaching to help technical leaders transform from ordinary to extraordinary. Interested? Click here to schedule a leadership strategy call with me.