“All models are wrong, but some are useful”

George Box

Every software project is different. Technology keeps moving and developing, and so do businesses. Each formation of people brings a different mix of strengths and needs. Every variance in team, circumstances and technologies drives different demands. This is part of the fun and challenge. But in this changing environment, being a successful Tech Lead demands observation, awareness, and adaptation.

There’s a clear focus point to the role: to provide a valuable software product or service. But as guides, engineers and leaders, how that happens should vary on the biggest challenges that present themselves, and how they need to be engaged with.

How do we Tech Leads do this? We grow (and keep growing) a set of key skills and practices that allows us to service a broad group of jobs-to-be-done, in service to this focus. We bring these to play, to meet the needs of our team, project, and circumstances

Key practices of a Well-Rounded Tech Lead 

The Well-Rounded Tech Lead expresses the jobs-to-be-done that I think are most important for a Tech Lead. Important enough that I will be walking and talking around each of the wings over the next months.

The model’s been built from reflection and from doing. Observing the important whilst building software and taking note of the key advice I’ve given to mentees. I’ve thought about the work that is critical and that a Tech Lead is best placed to tackle or enable. I’ve looked back over the last ten years and asked: how should a Tech Lead be responding to the change that’s happened?

Focus point: scale how you solve problems

At the heart of our job, we are scaling how we solve problems, and how we deliver great software. All that we do should be in service to either the key technical challenges, or helping remove key blockers that stop our team being able to focus and flow. 

It’s still a lot!

Don’t panic, it’s not a checklist. It’s a challenge to keep thinking broadly, and to find the keys that will unblock and accelerate the safe delivery of great software. Work that can be critical to the team, the business, or your customers.

Use the model as a guide, and adapt

Having a broad set of skills creates choices and ways to stretch, making you and your team effective and accurate. A Tech Lead has to adapt to their circumstances, their team’s needs and the key goals. To be a great Tech Lead, you should have an appreciation of, and opinions on, all these areas and practices. 

Take time to grow. Whilst all the practices here are valuable, you are not going to pick them all up in a week. If you are beginning your technical lead journey, take time to identify what’s important right now.

How do I get it all done?

You don’t need to do it all. Select, prioritise, delegate and collaborate. 

I keep a strong idea of what needs doing, but as long as I can be sure that a good enough job will be done, I’m flexible on who does what. The more mature the team, the more delegation happens and is done in collaboration. Lao Tzu’s guide: “When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally” may not bring you glory but it might help you to keep doing what you love.

Find your way

There are many ways to be a successful Tech Lead. No list of practices could be definitive. These are the practices and behaviours I value most. Your job is to select what you do wisely, know how your skills contribute to the bigger picture of what a Tech Lead is doing, and keep broadening what you can do, in service to technology, your team, your org and customers.