Last Wednesday, I hosted a webinar about the transition from Developer to Tech Lead. —The session was great! Luckily, I had 350 participants connected, making this session practical and interactive!

Many of the participants identified with the most common challenges that new tech leads often face, highlighting that many of them can be avoided if we start preparing for the role before taking the real leap.

These are some of the most common challenges:

1️⃣ Leave the developer’s routine. 

Break habits are one of the most challenging things in life — but not impossible!

Coding is not your priority anymore. You have to keep in mind that now you will have new and different functions that you have to deal with. Finding the balance of all these tasks and slowly letting go of the code will be one of your main challenges. 

2️⃣ Time Management

The tech lead role requires many changes, and acquiring time management as a new skill is a major one. 

It’s the moment to start saying NO, delegating, and prioritizing your most important work during your most productive hours.

3️⃣ Communication Skills

This is the No. 1 skill you must develop before jumping into leadership roles.

Communication is all around. Think that now you have to talk to your direct reports, stakeholders, and even communicate technical concepts to non-technical people.

4️⃣ Think ahead

Plans are nothing. Planning is everything —  Dwight D. Eisenhower.

You stop being a developer who makes a ticket that will be put into production tomorrow to think about the consequences of everything you do and everything you decide. That’s why planning here is essential. 

5️⃣ Lack of guidance

If your company/manager does not give you the guidance you need to prepare for this role in advance, the transition may be even tougher. Raise your hand, ask your manager to provide you with safe spaces to put your informal leadership into practice.

Stay tuned :)

In the next weekly pill, I will share some tips and tricks to overcome these challenges and make a successful transition!

🎥 From Dev to Tech Lead | Recording & Material

Did you miss the webinar from dev to tech lead? — We have enabled recording and extra resources on the official page, you just have to be registered to get the material.

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🎙 Are you a tech leader willing to share your trajectory and experiences with the sector?

Alfons Foubert, Lidr Mentor and the Leadership Coach in front of Techasting Podcast, is cooking the highly anticipated third season of the show. — If you’re interested or curious to participate, don’t hesitate to reach him at alfons.foubert@gmail.com

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