I never thought moving from writing code to leading people would feel so similar to debugging. But it does.
When I was an engineer, debugging meant tracing through messy logs, hunting down invisible errors, and figuring out how small changes caused big outcomes. Now, as a team lead, I realize leadership is basically debugging human systems.
A sprint slows down → not just because of “bad estimates,” but maybe because the team feels unheard.
A bug keeps reappearing → not just bad testing, but maybe unclear communication between QA and devs.
Someone goes quiet in meetings → not laziness, but maybe burnout or lack of recognition.
Why This Hit Me Hard
At first, I thought leadership was about big moves—strategy, architecture, vision. But the truth? It’s about micro-interactions. A quick Slack message. A word of encouragement in a code review. A nudge at the right moment.
And just like debugging, the hardest part is visibility. With hybrid work, you don’t see what’s really happening until something breaks.
Tools That Help
I’ve started experimenting with ways to make leadership a bit more systematic—like we do with CI/CD. That’s why platforms like Blended Leading
caught my attention. It’s basically an AI-driven mentor that gives you nudges in real time—like a “linting tool” for leadership habits.
It doesn’t replace the human part, but it helps me catch things I might miss:
Did I give feedback quickly enough?
Am I aligning team work with bigger goals?
Am I recognizing people before they burn out?
The Dev Angle
We already believe in automation and continuous improvement for code. Why not for leadership too? Instead of waiting for “annual feedback,” we can treat leadership like CI/CD: small, continuous adjustments that keep the system healthy.
Final Thought
Debugging code makes software better. Debugging leadership makes teams better. And honestly, the latter might be the bigger multiplier.
If you’re curious, check out Blended Leading
— it’s like applying DevOps principles to leadership growth.
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