Dear New Tech Lead,
First, congratulations on your recent promotion. The transition from individual contributor to tech lead is one of the most challenging shifts in our profession—from being valued for what you build yourself to being valued for what you enable others to build. I remember my own journey into leadership vividly, including the missteps and unexpected victories along the way.
You asked about building a high-performing team, particularly since you've inherited a group that, by your own assessment, "has good people but isn't clicking." This is a common situation, and I want to share some perspectives that have served me well over the years.
The most fundamental truth I've learned is this: technical excellence flows from human connection, not the other way around . I spent my first year as a manager trying to solve team performance problems with technical solutions—better architecture, more code reviews, stricter processes. While these have their place, I was addressing symptoms rather than causes.
What I eventually discovered is that extraordinary teams are built on three foundations:
First, psychological safety. This term, popularized by Google's Project Aristotle research, means creating an environment where people feel safe to take risks, admit mistakes, ask questions, and challenge ideas without fear of embarrassment or retribution. In practice, this means:
- Modeling vulnerability yourself. Share your own mistakes and what you learned.
- Responding to bad news or failures with curiosity, not judgment.
- Protecting team members who raise difficult issues or challenge the status quo.
- Separating the performance of work from the worth of the person.
Second, meaningful context. Engineers make hundreds of small decisions daily that affect the system. Without proper context, they optimize for what they can see, which is often just the code in front of them. You must continually provide:
- The "why" behind the work—how it connects to user value and business outcomes
- Architectural boundaries and principles that guide local decisions
- Historical context that explains how the system evolved to its current state
- Visibility into adjacent work and interdependencies
Third, balanced autonomy. The sweet spot for team effectiveness is what I call "directed autonomy"—freedom to solve problems creatively within clear constraints. Too much direction creates dependency and disengagement; too little creates anxiety and misalignment. To find this balance:
- Be explicit about which decisions are yours, which are the team's, and which belong to individuals
- Provide clear success criteria rather than prescriptive solutions
- Create regular feedback loops that allow course correction without micromanagement
- Adjust your approach based on the experience level and domain knowledge of each team member
Now, for your specific situation with a team that isn't "clicking," I suggest starting with a technique I call "excavation." This means creating opportunities—both in group settings and one-on-ones—to unearth the unspoken realities of your team. Ask questions like:
- "What's something we all know is true but don't talk about?"
- "What makes your best days at work so good?"
- "Where do you feel your talents are being underutilized?"
- "What's one thing that, if changed, would make us more effective?"
Listen deeply to the answers, looking for patterns. Teams that don't click often have hidden obstacles—mismatched expectations, unclear priorities, unaddressed conflicts, or simply a lack of shared purpose.
Once you understand these realities, resist the urge to fix everything at once. Choose one tangible improvement that addresses a core issue, implement it visibly, and build from there. Success in leadership comes through consistent, small actions that accumulate trust over time, not grand gestures.
Remember that team culture forms whether you shape it intentionally or not. Every interaction, decision, and reaction communicates what you truly value. What gets recognized, what gets measured, what gets forgiven, what gets celebrated—these signals speak far louder than any mission statement.
Lastly, be patient with yourself and your team. Building trust takes time, especially if there's historical baggage to overcome. The journey from a group of talented individuals to a cohesive, high-performing team rarely follows a straight line. There will be setbacks and moments of doubt.
In those moments, remember that your technical skills got you this far, but your human skills will take you—and your team—where you ultimately want to go.
I'm here if you want to discuss specific situations or challenges as they arise. The path of technical leadership can sometimes feel isolating, but know that many of us have walked it before you and are cheering for your success.
With respect and confidence in your journey,
A Fellow Traveler on the Leadership Path