From Mid to Senior: Tips on Leading Projects

So, you've been rocking that mid-level software developer role, right? Coding genius, problem-solving superhero, now you're all set to level up. How about leading projects and defining the work? That's exactly what we're going to explore!

"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it." - H.E. Luccock

The Difference Between a Project Lead and a Team Member

From Individual Contributor to Collaborative Leader: As a team member, your primary responsibility was to contribute your skills and expertise.

Now, as a project leader, you'll need to also coordinate the work of your team, set the project's direction, and make key decisions that impact the project's success.

From Task Executor to Strategic Thinker: Before, you focused on executing tasks assigned to you. As a project leader, you're tasked with thinking strategically about the project's goals, priorities, and potential roadblocks. You'll be juggling multiple balls and keeping an eye on the big picture.

From Individual Learning to Team Growth: You learned to upgrade your skills and knowledge earlier in your career. Now, it's also about helping your team members grow. You'll guide them, provide feedback, and support their professional development.

Key Skills for Leading Projects

Technical Expertise: While you don't need to know everything (although that never hurts), you should have enough tribal knowledge to understand the project's technical aspects.

Communication: Crucial in both directions: conveying your ideas clearly to the team, stakeholders, and non-technical personnel, and then also understanding their feedback.

Problem-Solving: If you've been lucky, your seniors have thus far been shielding you from problems. But now, you're exposed to much more of the picture, including additional uncertainty where you now get to help define the work.

Risk Management: It's about foreseeing possible fires and having a fire extinguisher ready. Being able to anticipate, identify, and manage project risks is essential.

Planning and Executing a Project

Establishing clear, measurable, and achievable goals: As the project lead, you're driving. Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This gives your project a clear direction and a finish line to strive for.

Allocating resources: You need to determine what tools, time, and talent you need to accomplish your goals. Allocate resources based on priorities and be ready to adjust as needed. Allocate things like time, people, and technology wisely, ensuring that you have enough but not too much.

Executing the plan: Keep your project on track by following your plan, but also be flexible. When you encounter a roadblock or detour (and you will), don't panic. Review your plan, make adjustments, and keep moving forward. Your goal is still the same; you're just taking a different path to get there.

Leading a Team

Delegating Effectively: Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team members, map these skills to the tasks at hand, and delegate accordingly. As the project lead you have the authority to, but should not, cherry-pick the juiciest pieces of the project.

Occasionally delegate tasks just slightly outside a team member's skill set. In my experience, it's mild stretches like this that help coax teammates out of their comfort zone, facilitating learning and engagement and ultimately helping them grow.

Promoting Teamwork: Once you've assigned the tasks, the next step is to ensure your team pulls in one direction. Keep the lines of communication open, no silos. Foster trust and respect. Appreciate and celebrate every team member's input.

Managing Conflict: Conflict may arise, and as a project leader, you're closest to the metal. Understand the root cause. Give each party a chance to express their feelings. Seek a solution that serves the project and the team.

Growing as a Project Leader

Embracing Self-reflection: Think of self-reflection as your personal debug session. It's your chance to identify bugs in your leadership code and refactor it for better performance. This introspective process helps you recognize your strengths, understand your weaknesses, and plan for growth.

Continuous Learning: Resting on your laurels is not an option. As a project leader, you must commit to continuous learning. Now that you're helping define the work, being aware of the competitive advantages of technologies, methodologies, and industry trends is crucial.

Seeking Feedback: Whether praise or constructive criticism, feedback provides valuable insights into your performance. It's your mirror, reflecting how your leadership impacts the team and the project.

Do's & Don'ts

Do: Actively seek feedback.

Don’t: Assume you're doing everything right.

Do: Be open to criticism.

Don’t: Get defensive about feedback.

Do: Use feedback for improvement.

Don’t: Ignore feedback.

"Leadership is not about being in charge, it's about taking care of those in your charge." - Simon Sinek

Remember, leadership is a journey, not a destination. The path from a mid-level developer to a senior is littered with potholes, but each one is a chance to learn and grow. Embrace feedback, keep refining your skills, and always stay open to learning.

You're in the driver's seat of your career; take the wheel.