The Tech Lead Gambit

Tech leads are usually mid-to-senior software developers who run point for a team. They shoulder the responsibility for project delivery, stakeholder management, and their team’s output. Yet, they aren’t managers. They usually hold no hire-and-fire power and rarely see a pay bump for their trouble beyond the standard individual contributor scale.

So why would anyone accept this Dwight Schrutian, “Assistant to the Regional Manager” gambit?

There can be reasons. The role can be a temporary stepping stone, a way to test the management waters without the shame of a public retreat if it doesn’t work out. Often, however, it’s just a lukewarm, off-the-books promotion granted by a manager lacking conviction.

Unfortunately, the toil rarely translates into true management ability. The best case scenario is that the role is short-lived and followed by a promotion. Despite mountains of literature, people management is best learnt by doing (and failing).

Hiring, firing, and helping people navigate professional and life crises requires the authority to make decisions. Without that, you are little more than an observer. You become a bottleneck between a manager who won’t delegate and a report who can’t tell if they have two bosses or none.

Holding the keys to someone’s career—their employment, their projects, their raise—is a heavy burden. Being the arbiter of the craft that at times defines a person’s identity is terrifying. I don’t mean this in a power trip way, but in a “this responsibility often sucks” way.

This scary power has a flip side, which is that (if handled justly and perceived so) it will help you build trust and a relationship through which you can not just manage but also coach people toward great performance and professional growth. So don’t settle for the gambit.