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How can I position myself as a lead as my team grows?
Entry-Level Software Engineer [L3] at Google2 years ago
My sub-team was 3 people (an L5 tech lead, an L4 engineer, and me), but now it’s just me since the others left. My manager is hiring other people in the coming months.
How can I best onboard the new people and set myself up to lead the team?
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(1 comment)- 02 years agoMeta, Pinterest, Kosei
One of the things I liked about Meta is that levels are private. At Google, by default, levels are public, so people may unfortunately have preconceived notions on whether you’re fit to be a lead or not, but it’s still possible.
The way to become a lead is to become the owner of the knowledge relevant for your team, and ensure that people around you are aware of that. Some practical tips:
- Share the context you have, how different projects relate to one another, and their relative priority.
- Schedule regular 1:1 meetings with new people – this is a great example of shifting from reactive to proactive.
- Do people come to you for guidance when they’re stuck, or when they’re looking for another task or project to work on?
- Have a discussion with your manager about the opportunity for you as the team grows, and what is the best way to position yourself as a lead over the coming year.
