From Peer to Lead: An Unexpected Journey into Tech Leadership

Sat, Jul 26, 2025

From Peer to Lead: An Unexpected Journey into Tech Leadership

Our company recently announced a significant shift: we’re moving to an “Empowered Teams” model. For those familiar with Marty Cagan’s work, particularly his books Inspired and Empowered, the concept isn’t entirely new. For many of us, however, the practical implications of this change felt pretty ambiguous when it was first introduced. We knew the strategic direction, but the day-to-day details were yet to be defined.

The transition began with an interesting and entirely confidential process. Each employee was individually asked two questions: Who would you prefer to work with on a team, and who do you believe would be an effective team lead? These were private responses, designed to gather uninfluenced feedback that would guide the formation of new teams and identify their leadership.

I was informed that an overwhelming majority of my colleagues had not only selected me as someone they wanted on their team, but also as the primary choice for a team lead. Honestly, it was a genuine surprise.

The news hit me like a ton of bricks. First, there was a profound sense of validation. It felt like an acknowledgment of all the effort I’ve poured into refining my craft, not just as a developer, but in understanding the intricacies of our work and the broader web platform. All those hours spent exploring new concepts, diving deep into documentation, and constantly striving to improve my understanding… it seemed they had been recognized.

But almost immediately on the heels of that flattering recognition came the “holy crap” moment. Apprehension and trepidation immediately set in. What the fuck have I gotten myself into?! The idea of failure loomed large. What if I wasn’t up to the task? How would that reflect on me, and what would it mean for my trajectory? It was a mix of excitement for the unknown, coupled with a healthy dose of self-doubt. Yet, beneath it all, there’s a stubborn belief that, at the very least, I can be decent at this, and that it’s a challenge I’m capable of tackling.

My thoughts immediately shifted to what this new role would entail, and how it aligns (or perhaps diverges?) from my current trajectory. On one hand, my passion for the web platform runs deep. I genuinely love getting my hands dirty with code, diving into the nitty-gritty intricacies and complexities of CSS, and exploring everything JavaScript offers us on the front end, from reactivity patterns like signals to optimizing for accessibility and performance. This is my domain, where I feel most at home and where I thrive as a specialist.

The Tech Lead role, however, necessitates a broader perspective. It pulls me, at least in part, into the realm of a generalist. Suddenly, my concerns stretch beyond the web platform to encompass areas like CI/CD pipelines, backend development (which, in our case, is primarily PHP, a language I understand at a basic to intermediate level, but I’m certainly no Laravel expert or full-stack guru), quality assurance processes, and deeper product-forward thinking. While I absolutely recognize the value in understanding these interconnected systems, there’s a real fear that this broader scope will pull me away from the hands-on, specialist work I genuinely love.

It’s an interesting paradox, particularly as I’ve been actively steering my career towards a UI Architect role. In my mind, a UI Architect remains deeply entrenched in the web platform, focusing on the very aspects I just mentioned: accessibility, performance, architectural patterns for frameworks, and advanced CSS strategies. The Tech Lead role certainly entails some architectural thinking, but it seems to demand a more generalized oversight. The challenge, and perhaps the opportunity, will be to navigate this shift without losing my core identity as a dedicated front-end specialist.

Beyond the initial self-reflection, a clear and exciting opportunity quickly came into focus: the chance to build the kind of team I’ve always wanted to be a part of. I know, firsthand, the impact a well-functioning, collaborative team can have. And perhaps more importantly, I know what it feels like when a team doesn’t quite click.

My immediate priority as a Tech Lead has been to kickstart a conversation about how we want to work, not just what we’re building, but the environment and dynamics that will define our day-to-day. I understand that for many, the idea of actively shaping their team’s culture might be a novel concept. We’re often just dropped into existing structures. So, I’ve challenged my teammates to look back at their experiences, both good and bad, from current and previous roles. What did you love? What made you pull your hair out? Bring it all. The goal is to openly discuss and collaboratively formulate our collective working agreement.

To get the ball rolling, I offered a few initial tenets, my ideas for pillars I believe are crucial for a high-performing and supportive team. I made it explicit that these are merely starting points, meant to be debated, modified, omitted, or, ideally, added to. This isn’t my manifesto; it’s a conversation starter for our team’s foundation. We all have our individual quirks and ways of working, and the aim is to find that sweet spot where our collective strengths can truly shine, where the team works for us, and where we genuinely enjoy working with each other.

So, here I am. Whether I’m entirely ready or not, this is the path I’m on, and this is what I’ll be doing. I’m riding a complex wave of emotions, feeling equally excited, nervous, and apprehensive about this significant opportunity. My deepest desire is to make a real go of it, to succeed, and in doing so, to prove to myself, more than anyone else, that I can truly excel in this new capacity.

I believe I’m ready for this. While I do genuinely lament the prospect of stepping back from some of the deep, hands-on work in the web platform space that I love so much, my commitment to my teammates is absolute. This new endeavor, this empowered model, is about us. I’m dedicated to pouring my absolute best into helping them navigate this transition and achieve success as a cohesive, high-performing unit. The journey ahead will undoubtedly be challenging, but it’s one I’m eager to embark on, alongside the team that chose me.

let’s do it!