A lot of technology professionals shy away from moving into management or leadership, and this is a shame. Although managing and leading certainly aren’t for everyone, they can be a highlight of a career and give you an opportunity to have a positive impact on others’ careers, provided that you’re good at the job.
A lot of my friends in the tech world have been clear with me: they have no interest in management. If I ask why not, they give a variety of reasons, but a few common themes emerge, often boiling down to this: they’ve had a poor experience with managers in their own lives, and they don’t want to become that person.
I’ve had some terrible experiences with managers and some wonderful experiences with truly gifted leaders. At some point in my career, I looked back at how much I’d been helped along by the excellent leaders in my life and decided, “I want to do that too.” I suddenly wanted to help make the decisions that guided the organization, and I wanted the opportunity to affect other people’s careers in a positive way. I’m glad I came to that realization, because it’s been incredibly rewarding.
Management and leadership aren’t part of everyone’s careers, and that’s fine. However, that’s not a decision you should make without reading this chapter. And if management or leadership is part of your path to success, I hope this chapter will provide some tips to make you happier and more effective at it.