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How To Be A Leader as A Programmer

As someone who is a natural born leader and likes to be in a position where I can mentor/lead I would like to have a leadership at in my future career. But I understands that right out of college I will be more of a worker than a leader to gain experience so that I can be a great leader in the future. Do you have any advice for rising in the ranks at a big company or getting to those leadership positions. Thanks for all of help! #computer-science #management #leadership #tech #programmer

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Anshul’s Answer

Adding to what Hina said, this is very accurate "you can exhibit leadership skills by being on top of things, communicating well, and going an extra mile at everything you do."


It is incorrect to think of any position as a worker position or a leader position. Being a leader is an attitude and not a position. You will grow in your career if you exhibit leader's characteristics at any task given to you. Nobody gets into a mentor position without demonstrating a track record of delivering results.


At the end of the day never forget to learn no matter what position you are in.
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Hina’s Answer

Many Software Engineers go from the Individual Contributor route to Managerial track.
At some tech companies, engineering teams are organized in pods, with leads. Even if you aren't the lead engineer, you can exhibit leadership skills by being on top of things, communicating well, and going an extra mile at everything you do.


Wherever you end up, you should talk to your boss about career advancement tracks and make sure they know that you want to end up being in a managerial position.
Maybe your path will look like:
Entry level engineer --> Senior level engineer --> engineering manager --> senior engineering manager --> engineering director --> senior engineering director --> VP --> ???


I, personally, though extroverted, want to stay in the Individual Contributor track for a while to make sure I get the skills necessary to stay relevant.
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Gareth’s Answer

When I worked in Software Development, I had no intention of becoming a leader, but I found that providing good examples for others to follow, naturally put me in that position. Working hard, putting in extra effort to deliver quality products on time and on budget is vital. Look for opportunities (within your company) where you can take ownership of problems and resolve them with your own effort and the support of others, this will teach you leadership and interpersonal skills and at times it will not be easy. Lead by example, never ask someone to do something your not prepared to do yourself and never forget that everyone is part of the team, it's always a team effort. Give credit to the team and others. Good luck with your goals.
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Carly’s Answer

Be sure to let people know that you are interested in pursuing leadership, if you have a good relationship with your people leader they may help and coach you to help you be ready for leadership.

Look for opportunities to show leadership outside your role - do you have volunteer groups in your company, what about coaching and mentoring opportunities? Are there new initiatives and groups you can establish, to gain experience and increase your network and visibility across the organisation.

Learn about your business! Understand the commercial drivers and strategy. A leader needs to think beyond their role and their team and consider their impact on the business. In making decisions and trade-offs you need to be able to understand the wider business and context.

Invest in your learning and competence on softskills. Be clear on the 'why' you want to move into leadership, what is your leadership style. Leadership is a privilege and it is hard - navigating conflict, decision making, performance management...none of these are easy, and leadership is about being respected but not always liked.
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Terry’s Answer

These responses are packed with valuable insights. Leadership can often stem from one's rank, but it's also deeply rooted in building trust and establishing credibility. Teddy Roosevelt once wisely noted, "People won't value your knowledge until they recognize your compassion." Therefore, empathy is a crucial component when aiming to positively impact your colleagues.
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EK’s Answer

Adding to the earlier answers, leadership does not necessarily relate to a position. It can be demonstrated in most of your work situations. Others, including your leaders, will notice when you do so.
Also, observe and learn how other leaders practice their leadership, including the good, the bad and the ugly. The learnings from these can be more valuable than any book you read or any course you attend.
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Jacquelyn’s Answer

Hi. As you gain skills and knowledge, you have the oportunity for advancement. You can be a leader at any level, assuming people want to follow you. It is iimportant to be a good sincere person in all that you do, and people will gravitate to you.

There are many engineers that are great engineers and can develop and code amazing things, but then you take them out of the lab and put them in leadership positions and they are miserable. You have to continue to work on your people skills, knowledge base, be sincere and approachable and you will be a good leader.
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