From Coder to Leader: 5 Skills to Start Practicing Today

If you’re used to technical discussions, you might default to details: “We fixed the database latency issue by optimizing query times.”

But leaders don’t just describe what they did—they connect it to the big picture: “We reduced database latency by 20%, which improves the customer experience and supports revenue growth.”

Action Step: Practice Connecting Work to Impact

• Ask yourself: “Why does this matter to the business, the team, or the customer?”
• Frame updates in terms of outcomes, not actions.
• In your next standup or demo, don’t stop at what you did. Add the impact.

Example:

Instead of: “We implemented caching for API calls.”Say: “We cut API response times by 30%, which improves reliability and reduces user drop-offs.”

As an engineer, you focus on solving bugs or completing tickets. As a leader, you need to zoom out: What’s blocking the team? What problems are coming next quarter?

Action Step: Think Beyond Your Own Work

• In sprint planning, look for recurring patterns or systemic issues.
• Ask your manager: “What challenges do you think we’ll face next?”
• Suggest solutions—not just problems. If something feels off, propose a next step.

Example:

Instead of waiting for a technical debt backlog to explode, suggest scheduling regular “debt reduction sprints” to prevent bottlenecks.

Mentorship is the fastest way to build leadership skills. It sharpens your communication, forces clarity, and builds trust—all while empowering others.

You don’t need to be a senior manager to mentor. Start with your peers or junior developers.

Action Step: Be the Go-To Person for Something

• Offer to pair-program or review code for a teammate.
• Help newer team members navigate the team’s processes or tools.
• Share knowledge in team meetings. A quick 5-minute demo of a tool or technique can position you as a leader.

Example:

When a teammate asks, “How did you set up that CI/CD pipeline?”—don’t just answer. Offer to walk them through it step by step.

Leaders get noticed—not for themselves, but for how they elevate their teams and their work.

Many developers assume their work will “speak for itself.” It doesn’t. You need to ensure people understand the value of what you (and your team) are doing.

Action Step: Start Speaking Up

• Regularly share updates in standups, sprint demos, or company meetings.
• Recognize teammates publicly. Leaders amplify others.
• Document and share your wins—write up what you did, why it mattered, and what you learned.

Example:

If your team improved deployment speeds, share it: “Thanks to Alex and Priya’s work, our deployment pipeline is now twice as fast—enabling us to ship features more quickly and reliably.”

Notice how you highlight others while showcasing impact. That’s leadership in action.

Leaders make decisions—often without perfect information. Decision paralysis is common among developers, but leadership requires weighing trade-offs, choosing a path, and moving forward.

Action Step: Start Small and Build Confidence

Take ownership of small, low-risk decisions to strengthen your decision-making muscle.

• When the team is stuck, suggest a direction based on the information available.
• Clearly outline your reasoning for decisions, even if you're uncertain. Leadership is about making informed choices and adapting when needed.
• Reflect on outcomes. Whether successful or not, review what worked and what could improve for next time.

Example:

If the team needs to decide on a tool for a new project, take the initiative: “I recommend Framework X because it reduces setup time and aligns with our scalability needs. If challenges arise, we’ll revisit this choice after the first milestone.”

This shows clarity, confidence, and accountability—all essential for leadership.

With a structured approach, you can identify root causes, set clear expectations, and give team members the support they need to succeed.

Here’s the play book:

1. Diagnose the root cause.

2. Set clear, measurable expectations.

3. Deliver focused, actionable feedback.

4. Build a 3-month turnaround plan.

5. Recognize and reinforce progress.

6. Know when to escalate.

This process fixes underperformance and builds a culture of growth, accountability, and results.

Pick one of these skills to practice this week.

• Share an outcome-focused update in standup.
• Offer to mentor a teammate.
• Proactively address a blocker in your sprint.

Small steps compound into leadership success. Start now—and watch your influence grow.

Cheers,
Gábor