I know a guy who’s a CTO at a big firm.
He and his team have been working together for about 15 years. They don’t have their own company, but as a team, they move together. This might seem unusual, but I see them like a spec ops team.
They view themselves as a unit, and this fact remains, regardless of where they work. So when the CTO goes to work for another company or on another project, they all move with him – they are an inseparable team.
Certain members are retired now. But because they have been together so long, they’ll come back to work with the unit when they’re needed.
Their system architect does this, for example. He spends the time after finishing work on one project enjoying retirement. When they need him for the next one, he comes back.
Earning this level of trust, collaboration, and respect is no easy feat. And I can proudly say I’ve been able to do the same. Part of this was building a culture of like-minded people.
Proactive vs reactive people
In general, there are two types of approaches to work: proactive and reactive. I don’t think one type is better than the other, though – in fact, I think the opposite.
I see reactive types as infantry soldiers. They are hard-working troops who follow strategy and carry out what needs to be done on the ground. They diligently get the tasks done and are instrumental in keeping companies going because they deliver consistent results.
Proactive types, on the other hand, are tacticians. They’re more:
- Autonomous
- Self-organized
- And often find creative or unconventional solutions to difficult problems
Proactive people tend to be a little harder to manage, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – they just require more input at first. They ask questions and require more information to do their job.
Some companies and managers dislike this proactive approach in their team members because the added effort or input they require is seen more as an annoyance. I see it as an asset because what these proactive types are really doing is gathering everything they need and then seeing what else they can do with it beyond the given task.
And I think that’s amazing.
Building a culture you want
Personally, I am a proactive type and enjoy working with others who share this approach. You can build incredible synergy when you work with others who are like-minded because you:
- Motivate each other
- Bring different ideas to the table
- Anticipate problems and challenges
- Have a greater scope together
- Share a love of learning
- Inspire each other to experiment and push boundaries
- And hold each other accountable
Because proactive types tend to be self-motivated, when they work together, they invigorate and encourage one another without becoming dependent. They are also able to carry the load (temporarily) if one person is not running at 100%. In other words, they play off each other’s strengths and support each other's weaknesses.
One of my goals as an EM was to build a team like this that shares my sense of purpose. I’ve not done this alone, but I’m so proud of what we’ve all been able to accomplish together, including scaling with like-minded contributors.
Building relationships that last
We have a very low turnover of team members, which I’m very proud of.
This excludes the initial trial period, where both parties decide if they want to work together. For me, this period really is a two-way street, where we’re assessed as much as we’re assessing the candidate.
But what’s really amazing is that when a candidate makes it through the trial period, they end up working with us indefinitely. It’s part of an EM’s job to foster a culture where engineers feel:
- Supported
- Respected
- And motivated
This is the environment I have strived to build for my team, and I’m proud to have achieved it.
I’ve been able to grow and double our engineering team, and I see myself continuing this in the future. But it’s not about the headcount. It’s about the people themselves, having a team – regardless of size – who:
- Are like-minded
- Have the same work ethic
- And are in it together
I love this, but it does depend on working with the right people.
My favorite part
For me, the biggest achievement is being surrounded by amazing professionals who love what they’re doing and put their heart and soul into the work.
I work with a team that has my back, and I have theirs. It’s invigorating, and it makes me want to do better and achieve more. To work in this kind of environment is incredibly motivating.
Since becoming an EM, I have learned the value of working with others. I have learned how to delegate, I understand what each of my team members offers, and I play to their strengths. My approach is less about what I can achieve on my own and more about what we can achieve together. And because of this, my scope – our scope – is so much bigger.
In other words, I couldn’t have accomplished anything I have without the amazing people around me. Everything I’ve achieved is as much as theirs as mine, and I’m so grateful I can say that.
The short version: the greater impact of your team
Being an EM is incredibly hard. But one of the best rewards is the team you get to build and lead. It’s a big part of what makes the role enjoyable.
The most important aspects of building a successful team, for me, are:
- Trust
- Collaboration
- Respect
- A proactive culture
- A shared approach
- And enduring relationships
Fostering a culture where you are all working together toward the same goal creates a sense of cohesion that allows you to achieve more. I found an amazing team to work with, and that’s my greatest achievement as an EM.
Want more tips on leading effective software engineering teams?
Join my newsletter if you’ve found this content useful
Originally published on Medium.com
Content in this blog post by Alex Ponomarev is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
