We say we want our Team Leads to grow people.
Coach. Support. Challenge.
Help others reach their full potential. And then… we bury them in delivery work. The Team Lead in this story was hands-on. They were writing code, fixing bugs, leading projects, and also trying to manage. So when one engineer started slowing down, they didn’t have the time or space to dig in.
It was easier to give them simpler tasks.
To focus on the stuff that “just needed to get done.”
To quietly pick up the slack. Weeks passed. Maybe months.
By the time the Team Lead raised it, the gap had grown.
The engineer was defensive.
The trust was shaky.
The damage had already been done. This is what happens when we treat “Team Lead” like a badge, not a shift in role.
We keep them on the critical path.
We tell ourselves it’s fine, they’re experienced enough to juggle it.
And when the team’s not performing, we look to them for answers. But growing people isn’t something you squeeze in between commits.
It takes attention.
It takes presence.
It takes belief. And here's the paradox:
When Team Leads are stretched too thin,
they stop managing.
They default to what they know, building.
They go faster themselves,
while quietly lowering the bar for everyone else. By facing into the performance issue,
this Team Lead did what they were supposed to do all along:
make space for someone else to grow. Even if it was awkward.
Even if it was late.
Even if it meant hearing: “You’re picking on me.” Until next time,
Dermot
The Messy Middle ✉️ Enjoying The Messy Middle?
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