"The easy option is to write them off"
When someone struggles in a role, the instinct can be to write them off. “They’re just not cut out for this.” But often it’s not about scrapping the person, it’s about building scaffolding around their weaknesses so their strengths can shine. I worked with a Tech Lead who was a person of action. If a developer on the team got stuck, they’d either fix it themselves or hand over the answer. The team leaned heavily on them, and as a result, they were swamped. Their weakness wasn’t effort or ability, it was making space for others to grow and thinking at an architectural level. It would have been easy to conclude: not leadership material. But instead, I tried something different. In 1:1s, I encouraged team members to stop running every little thing past the Tech Lead, especially the work they already felt confident about. Bit by bit, the dependency eased. The Tech Lead got breathing room and used it to push forward higher-value work, like leading the adoption of continuous delivery. The weakness didn’t disappear. But it didn’t need to. By reshaping the environment, their strength became more visible and more valuable. That’s what scaffolding looks like. It’s not about propping someone up forever. It’s about creating structures that let people grow into their role, instead of being written off too soon. Scrapping is easy. Scaffolding takes patience. But it’s usually where the real leadership lives. Until next time, ✉️ Enjoying The Messy Middle? If someone sent this email your way and you’d like to get it direct, you can sign up here. |