The Myth of the Binary Choice
When I was 21, someone told me: “You will need to choose – leadership or technology."
Anyone who knows me will know that caused only one reaction: “No, I don’t. No, I won’t."
Even today, I see people perpetuating this false choice – as if leadership and technology are two completely separate paths. They’re not. In fact, some of the best tech leaders I know refuse to let go of their technical roots. The idea that you have to pick one over the other is outdated, limiting, and frankly, a bit lazy.
Keeping the Spark Alive
Don’t get me wrong – you can build an amazing career as a deep technologist, pushing boundaries in your field. You can also become an exceptional leader, guiding teams and organizations toward innovation. But if you’re passionate about both, why should you have to abandon one?
As a technology leader, your time allocation may shift. You may spend fewer hours coding and more time setting strategy, guiding teams, or clearing roadblocks. But that doesn’t mean you should lose touch with the core of what excited you in the first place. If you were drawn to tech because of the thrill of solving problems, building systems, and learning new things – hold on to that.
The Tech Leader’s Mindset
A good tech leader isn’t just a manager. They’re a bridge between business and engineering, strategy and execution, vision and reality. To do that effectively, you need to be:
- Broad: You’ll find yourself involved in areas you never expected – product, finance, hiring, team dynamics, security, and more.
- Adaptive: Your skills will evolve. Maybe you wrote code every day before, but now you might spend more time reviewing architectures, mentoring, and shaping the future.
- Connected: Stay hands-on where you can. Maybe you’re not writing production code daily, but you can still code for fun, pair program with your team, or dive into technical discussions.
Walking the Middle Path
Some days, leadership will take center stage. Other days, you’ll get to dive deep into tech. The trick is not to view this as an either/or scenario but as a continuum – one where you actively shape your role rather than letting it define you.
For me, I still get a buzz from:
- Writing and reviewing code
- Pairing with my team
- Exploring new technologies
For others, the pull might be infrastructure, architecture, or product innovation. Whatever it is, I challenge you: Don’t choose. Tread the path in between.
Technology needs leaders who understand the craft. Leadership needs technologists who can inspire and drive change. Why pick one when you can master both?