When I received an offer to lead a team developing a new module for a production ERP, two different paths emerged in my mind: deepening my existing technical expertise to become a 'Technical Lead,' or moving into an 'Engineering Manager' role by managing a broader unit. This decision was one of the most significant steps I took in my career, and today, I want to share my observations and 5 steps to help those at a similar crossroads define their career path. In this post, I will discuss the unique dynamics of both leadership roles and practical approaches to help you understand which one excites you more.
What is Technical Leadership (Technical Lead) and What Does It Entail?
Technical leadership refers to a role with deep technical knowledge that defines and guides the technical direction of a team. A Technical Lead typically continues to write code, makes architectural decisions, mentors team members technically, and is responsible for the technical quality of the project. In this role, knowing how systems should work down to the finest detail and being able to solve complex technical problems are critically important.
In my own career, especially while working on a production ERP, I frequently took on technical leadership roles in areas such as designing the architecture for new features, resolving performance bottlenecks in existing systems, or managing challenging integrations. For example, solving a WAL bloat issue in PostgreSQL or optimally configuring Redis's OOM eviction policy can be part of a Technical Lead's daily tasks. This role requires mastering technical details and clearly communicating them to the team; this can often be as challenging as explaining how a complex system works from scratch to a new developer.
What is Managerial Leadership (Engineering Manager) and What Does It Require?
Managerial leadership is a role focused on managing the performance, development, and overall motivation of teams. An Engineering Manager helps individuals chart their career paths, manages conflicts among team members, conducts performance reviews, and tracks the overall progress of projects. In this role, in addition to technical knowledge, human relations, communication, and strategic thinking skills come to the forefront.
As a team manager, instead of pondering software architecture, I focused on providing the right environment for my team to work efficiently. For example, I had to address a delay in a project timeline not just as a technical issue, but also as a factor affecting team morale and resource allocation. Additionally, managing the hiring processes for new team members, setting performance goals, and ensuring the team works in alignment with the company's overall strategy are core responsibilities of this role. This role is less about producing technical solutions and more about creating the necessary environment for technical teams to perform at their best.
Which Leadership Role Is Right for Me: How Do You Evaluate Yourself?
When determining your career path, it's crucial to honestly evaluate yourself. You should question what kind of tasks satisfy you most, which of your skills are stronger, and where you see yourself in the future. This process is not just about your current abilities but also about your long-term career goals.
When I found myself at this crossroads, I first considered what motivated me most during the day. Was it spending hours working on a complex algorithm, or spending time helping a team member achieve their career goals? Both roles have their own challenges and rewards. The table below compares the key characteristics of these two roles to help you make your own assessment:
| Feature | Technical Lead | Engineering Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Main Focus | Code, architecture, system quality, technical problem-solving | People, processes, performance, career development |
| Daily Tasks | Coding, code reviews, design meetings, debugging | One-on-ones, performance reviews, meetings, resource planning |
| Core Skills | Deep technical knowledge, system design, problem-solving | Communication, empathy, conflict resolution, strategic thinking |
| Success Criteria | High-quality, scalable, and reliable systems | Motivated, productive, and developing team, successful project delivery |
| Career Path | Principal Engineer, Architect, Fellow Engineer | Senior Manager, Director, VP of Engineering |
By looking at this table, try to understand which column aligns more with you or which area of tasks excites you more. This will be an important first step in making the right decision.
What Are the 5 Steps to Consider When Charting Your Career Path?
Defining a career path is a personal journey, and there is no single right answer. However, based on my own experiences, I have identified five steps that can guide you in making this critical decision. These steps will enable you to make a more informed choice by considering not only your technical knowledge but also your personal motivations and long-term goals.
Step 1: Discover Your Intrinsic Motivation
When stepping into a leadership role, understanding what truly motivates you is crucial. Do you enjoy delving into technical depth and solving complex problems, or do you find more satisfaction in contributing to a team's growth and success? I often compared the satisfaction I felt when solving a performance issue in a system (e.g., finding the root cause of slow queries in PostgreSQL and solving it with an indexing strategy) with the pride I felt when a team member succeeded in a challenging task. Both are valuable emotions, but which one weighs more heavily for you? This internal exploration is the most fundamental step in defining your career path.
Step 2: Analyze Your Current Skill Set
Honestly assess where you are naturally stronger and where you need to develop. Is your technical knowledge very deep and are you detail-oriented? Or are you more skilled at communicating with people, motivating them, and guiding them? In my own career, I was quite comfortable with topics like configuring Linux services (systemd units, journald, cgroup limits) and PostgreSQL. However, I realized I needed to use a different set of skills when conducting team performance reviews or resolving conflicts. Identifying your strengths will show you which leadership role will advance you faster, while your weaknesses will reveal which areas you need to invest in.
Step 3: Gain Experience and Seek Mentorship
Before making a decision, try to gain practical experience in both areas. Take on technical leadership roles in small-scale projects, be more active in code reviews, or mentor a new team member. Similarly, volunteer to lead a team meeting or teach an in-house training program. Likewise, seek mentorship from both a Technical Lead and an Engineering Manager. Observe their daily lives, the challenges they face, and their successes. These experiences will show you the reality of both roles, giving you insights beyond theoretical knowledge.
💡 Experience is Key
Before making a decision, try to experience both technical leadership and managerial leadership roles on a small scale if possible. Doing a few code reviews or guiding a new junior developer will test your technical leadership side, while leading a small team's weekly meeting or coordinating a project plan will allow you to review your managerial abilities.
Step 4: Evaluate Internal Company Opportunities
Research your company's career development paths and the opportunities it offers for leadership roles. Some companies clearly define both technical and managerial career paths (dual-track career path), while others keep these transitions more flexible. Charting a path that aligns with your company's culture and structure will facilitate your career progression. Also, openly discuss your goals with your manager and get their insights on which role might be more suitable for you. Remember, the existing resources and mentorship opportunities within your company can greatly benefit you on this journey.
Step 5: Seek Feedback and Be Adaptive
When defining your career path, receiving feedback from those around you is invaluable. Ask your managers, colleagues, and even those you report to for honest feedback on where you excel or which skills you need to develop. This feedback can reinforce your self-assessments or offer you new perspectives. Also, remember that the career decision you make is not final. In an environment where technology and the business world are constantly changing, being adaptive and re-evaluating your path when necessary is a critical trait for long-term success.
What Skills Are Important for the Technical Leadership Path?
The technical leadership path is one that requires continuous learning and technical depth. To succeed in this role, it is essential to possess and continuously develop specific skill sets. In my 20 years of field experience, I've observed that these skills encompass much more than just writing code.
Firstly, deep technical knowledge is indispensable. When designing a system's architecture or debugging a complex error in an existing system, you must be proficient in low-level details. For example, when investigating delays in a production ERP's real-time dashboards, it's critical to understand if the delay stems from an inadequate indexing strategy in PostgreSQL (like choosing between B-tree, GIN, or BRIN), an N+1 query problem, or a connection pool tuning deficiency. This not only helps identify the problem but also enables you to propose a permanent and scalable solution.
Secondly, superior problem-solving skills are a must-have for a Technical Lead. The problems you encounter often lack clear solutions and span multiple layers. On one occasion, with three different ISPs at the company exit, I realized that voice packets were constantly being interrupted due to incorrect DSCP marking. To solve this problem, I had to perform in-depth analysis at both the network (QoS, routing) and application (voice codecs, packet size) layers. In such situations, you are expected to work like a detective to get from the symptom to the root cause.
Finally, mentorship and technical guidance are among the most important aspects of the Technical Lead role. Rather than just writing your own code, you help your team write better code and design better systems. This means conducting effective code reviews, leading technical design meetings, and guiding junior developers. For me, helping a team member understand a complex concept or enabling them to spot a potential security vulnerability (like SQL injection mitigation or rate limiting patterns) early in a system is one of the most rewarding aspects of technical leadership.
What Qualities Are Necessary for the Managerial Leadership Path?
The managerial leadership path requires the ability to understand people, inspire them, and guide them in the right direction, more so than technical knowledge. As an Engineering Manager, you are responsible for maximizing your team's potential and ensuring the company's goals are met. To succeed in this role, it is necessary to possess and continuously develop specific qualities.
Firstly, strong communication and empathy skills are vital. Being able to communicate openly and honestly with your team members, listening to their concerns, and showing empathy towards them are fundamental to building trust. When a team member experiences performance issues or faces personal difficulties, listening, understanding, and adopting a supportive approach is far more valuable than offering a technical solution. This ensures your team trusts you and shares their problems with you.
Secondly, strategic thinking and planning ability are indispensable for a managerial leader. In addition to tracking your team's progress on current projects, it is your responsibility to set future goals, effectively allocate resources, and ensure the team works in alignment with the company's overall vision. When developing a new generation AI production planning module for a production ERP, I had to focus not only on technical details but also on how the team would be assembled, what skills would be needed, and the overall project roadmap.
Finally, conflict management and performance coaching skills are critical components of managerial leadership. Disagreements naturally arise in teams from time to time, and being able to resolve these conflicts constructively is essential for the team's health. Furthermore, regularly evaluating team members' performance, providing them with constructive feedback, and guiding their career development helps them unlock their potential. This directly impacts not only individual success but also the overall success of the entire team.
Conclusion
Technical leadership and managerial leadership are two distinct but equally important career paths offered in the tech world. Each has its own unique requirements, challenges, and rewards. I have been at this crossroads many times in my own career, and each time I have determined a direction by reviewing my intrinsic motivation, skill set, and long-term goals. The important thing is to know yourself well, understand the realities of both roles, and follow these 5 steps to choose the one that best suits you. Remember, this is a matter of preference, and you always have the freedom to re-evaluate this choice throughout your career.
