5 minutes
Even if you are not particularly sure about becoming an engineering manager yet, the more you progress in seniority in your individual contributor (IC) career, the more interesting it is to focus on your leadership skills.
Unlike technical skills, leadership skills vary from person to person, and organization to organization. Depending on what point of your career you are at, leadership could mean fostering psychological safety within a team, mentoring junior peers, or communicating clearly with both technical and non-technical teammates.
As you progress in your career, you will likely find yourself in a position of influence over others, so it’s never too early to build and sharpen your leadership skills.