The Desire for Leadership vs. the Reality of Transition
Everyone desires leadership, but few are prepared for the difficulty of transitioning into it. Moving from being an individual contributor to becoming a leader is one of the most challenging professional shifts a person can experience. For years, you may have been wholly focused on yourself—your tasks, your deadlines, your growth. You collaborated here and there, maybe built teams occasionally, but your work was the center of your world. Leadership changes that instantly.
When Your Deliverables Become Everyone's Deliverables
Suddenly the scope of your responsibilities expands beyond your own contributions. Your deliverables now include the deliverables of others. It's no longer: 'I do my job, and you do yours.' It becomes: 'I am accountable for the outcome of all of us.' People begin to ask you about other people's progress, blockers, performance, goals, shortcomings, and how their work aligns with the broader objectives of the company. The shift is both mental and emotional—your success is intertwined with your team's success.
The Unique Challenge of Leadership in Tech
In the tech world, this transition can feel even more intense. You're used to sitting behind a desk, configuring systems, solving bugs, building features, and writing clean code. Now you must: Motivate others, provide clarity, build direction, nurture talent, develop individuals, and align people to a vision. Your job becomes less about your keyboard and more about your voice, your influence, and your ability to bring the best out of people. Their goals, performance, and growth now sit squarely on your shoulders.
One of the Hardest Lessons
One of the most difficult conversations I ever had was with my boss, 'Baba Jaid.' He reminded me—rather bluntly—that I was responsible for the quality of other people's deliverables, not just my own. Clean, efficient code from them was now part of my job. The truth stung, but it was necessary. Because in leadership, you are responsible, whether you feel ready or not. The earlier you accept that, the sooner you will succeed.
Soft Skills Become Your Lifeline
As you rise in leadership, you may still carry technical responsibilities, but your soft skills become your real rescue tools. Want to succeed in leadership? Then do not focus exclusively on technical mastery while neglecting the skills that actually sustain leadership. Soft skills become the foundation: Communication is king—people need clarity, not confusion. Emotional intelligence is queen—you will be tested intentionally or unintentionally, and you cannot break. Conflict resolution, empathy, patience, mentorship, emotional stability—these matter more than your ability to write a perfect algorithm.
Exposure at Higher Levels
The higher you rise, the more visible your flaws become. Leadership has a way of exposing weaknesses with a spotlight. You don't want to be caught unprepared. If you aspire to leadership in the next five years, you must start preparing for it today. Leadership is not a title—it's a mindset. It's preparation. It's daily discipline. It's the silent work you do before you ever receive the role.