When promoted to a leadership role, one may wonder if it’s necessary to continue functioning as an individual contributor (IC). For instance, a product manager may be tempted to write a PRD and launch a feature instead of delegating them to a team member.
Frequently cited reasons for taking up IC work are, “I don’t want to lose touch with core product work” and “I love building stuff”.
According to me, some of the valid reasons to pursue IC work are –
1. Being in touch with the ground realities: Going through the whole product development process by yourself helps you to understand the gaps and improve the systems & processes in the company
2. Empathy: By building things you can develop more empathy for the product teams and their day-to-day struggle.
3. Unwind: While leadership work involves frequent interruptions, context switches, and active conversation, IC work provides time to unwind, concentrate, and enhance creativity.
4. Genuine love for building stuff as long as it doesn’t come at the cost of leadership responsibilities
5. If you have moved from a different function as a leader directly, it makes sense to walk to path of your team members to master your new function
Unspoken reasons that one should watch out for and needs to be checked –
1. Insecurity – Since leadership roles don’t have directly attributable outcomes, imposture syndrome builds up sooner or later. The prevailing tech belief that “engineering leaders need to code” is spreading to product management as well. Therefore, engaging in IC work can give a sense of security about one’s contribution.
2. A mental escape from the pressures of leadership role – Leadership roles would necessitate taking uncomfortable decisions, engaging in tough conversations, etc. Some might use IC work to delay/avoid these awkward situations.
In summary, leaders need to reflect on their motivations for pursuing IC work and ensure that it doesn’t interfere with their ability to fulfill their leadership responsibilities. While there are valid reasons to do IC work, leaders should also be aware of potential pitfalls and ensure they are not using IC work as a coping mechanism.
What other good/bad reasons for one to pursue IC work as a leader? Please leave your comments.
