Leading engineers when you aren't one yourself

Can a lack of technical expertise be an asset?

Several years ago, I was recruited for a role in engineering leadership at an established software company. This was curious, because although I’d worked in many roles in tech organizations and had been leading people for a long time, I was not a programmer. But the company needed somebody with solid management experience and an ability to lead a young satellite office; plus, in an org with separate tracks for individual contributors (ICs) and managers, I would be expected to work with senior engineers, not be one. I thought I could probably bring useful skills to the team, but I was actively concerned I’d be laughed out of the company by the actual programmers.

Join LeadDev.com for free to access this content