A CTO explains how over-protecting your team from criticism and hard problems backfires. When you shield them too much, they stop learning and taking ownership. Involving them in problem-solving instead makes them invested and stronger.
In my career, I grew from engineer to lead roles and all the way to CTO. Let's go to the third one. Too much shielding of the team. It's natural that you want to protect your team from criticism or difficult situations. However, shielding the team from challenges can prevent them from learning and growing. Instead, work with your team to address challenges and find solutions together. When people feel like they're part of the solution, they become more invested in its success. I made this mistake when I first grew to become a manager, and it caused issues with me being too much involved in certain things, and I had less time to focus on really important things. To learn more, you can subscribe to my newsletter. It's called Engineering Leadership, where I share similar tips and advice on how to be a great engineering leader.
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