Why Tech Lead Positions Are So Lonely — Patrick Kua on Leadership

Patrick Kua is a Technical Principal Consultant for ThoughtWorks in London. He is a conference speaker and author of "The Retrospective Handbook" and "Talking with Tech Leads" and is passionate about bringing a balanced focus on people, organization and technology.

Show notes at http://hellotechpros.com/patrick-kua-leadership/

• Horrible bosses don't have to be managers, they can be more senior people on the team.
• Personal issues should be taken offline, after calming down.
• If you are a junior colleague trying to resolve an issue with a more senior colleague, find another senior individual to act as a mediator.
• Developer to tech lead is a huge jump and changes the expectations.
  • When you are a dev your workload consists of code, working with fellow devs and solving tech problems.
  • When you are a team lead your workload consists of people issues, planning and whole system architecture.
• When moving to a tech lead role, it can feel lonely.
  • Your focus is on the broader view, not tech issues.
  • You're not working on the same issues with your old friends.
  • You're starting to spend more time in meetings with people outside the department.
• However, you have a broader impact on the organization.
  • You set the culture.
  • Instead of having really deep relationships with a small group of people that you pair with every day, you need to invest time with the broader team.
  • You must get outside of your comfort zone and spend time with people with different styles.
• Your emotional range and capacity to connect with people will grow as your career grows.