# Start Leading Early

I’ve been writing software for 5 years. Why am I still in the software industry? Because I love writing code! However we also can’t be stagnant in growth. At RoleModel Software we have assigned mentors to coach us in continual growth. The next step for me to make is to lead projects. The mindset shift from technical to customer relation was a big change for me and I want to go through some of the things I’ve learned so far.

First start working on honing these skills early on. When working on tasks think in the mindset of the customer. Think about how that fits into the bigger picture.

More life experience and responsibilities aid in better managing customer relations. There isn’t a great substitute for it. When you have a family, you must provide for them. It’s added responsibility. Moving out and living on your own teaches self-discipline. If you realize that you don’t have certain skills, you can look for strategic opportunities to accelerate growth. I’m one of the younger project leads on our team which has been an obstacle that I've had to work through. Putting myself in places where I’m forced to step up and learn new skills has really helped my. Intentionality is important.

In some cases you might not be given any opportunity to lead. In these cases you can lead up the chain of command, a concept from *Extreme Ownership*. It involves thinking about what your superiors will need and anticipating how you can help them meet their goals.

As a project lead you can spur others to start engaging more with the customer through rotating who is running the standup call.

Additionally having someone who you are mentoring as a 2nd in command is a great way to grow someone into a larger leadership role.

I personally struggled with being overwhelmed with all the things I was now responsible for managing. If you’ve been the 2nd in command for awhile you can slowly take over a little bit her and a little bit there so that it isn’t all at once. Don’t forget to delegate. Having someone you trust really takes a large burden off. When overwhelmed I tend to think that I have to get everything down myself. It’s an easy trap to fall into. Continually remind yourself you can ask for help.

Sometimes seeking out feedback is a great way to grow. Even with feedback cycles things can be missed if you don’t follow up right after an interaction. If you felt that something was off ask someone for a second opinion. Having recent examples to look at and learn from is great.

We all make mistakes and I’ve made plenty already in the first little bit leading a project but the biggest thing is how do you respond to failure. Do you get back up and and learn from your mistakes or just give up. Leadership is hard especially if you are not a born leader. Keep working at it.

In conclusion I’m still improving and there is much more for me to learn, but I very much appreciate the many examples of great leaders around me. Seeing good leaders and positioning yourself among them will spur you on to do your best. Several impactful books I’ve read during this process are *Extreme Ownership* and *Crucial Conversations*. I highly recommend reading these too books. Start thinking big picture early on. Keep learning and growing!