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Suggestions for a Good Team Lead

Resources

From this post:

  • Learn how to delegate.

  • Understand motivation - google "Drive" by Daniel Pink

  • Consider cognitive load and ownership - google "Team Topologies"

  • Be very clear and repetitive about expectations: deadlines, performance, metrics, whatever it might be. Tell your people up front what you want/need from them. Be consistent with this, stick to your word. If you say one thing and then do another, people will lose trust and leading will be difficult.

  • Don't dump your problems on people below you. Gripes go up the chain.

  • Foster career development. Work with you team to figure out what they want, explain what is necessary to get promotions/raises.

  • When bad things happen, bug gets pushed to prod or whatever, never throw your team member under the bus. You take the heat for your team publicly. Internally you can address issues with a person directly but publicly, in front of management, you pay the cost to be the boss by taking responsibility for what your team does.

  • Similarly, give credit to your team members when it is due. Hold up their successes to management. Don't personally take credit for what someone on your team did well.

  • Make decisions. Do not be indecisive. There can be some discussion about how to solve a problem but ultimately someone has to decide and that should be you.

  • Lead by example. get stuff done, handle your business, be successful. Your team will emulate whatever you do, so do the right thing.