Tips for New Leaders (Especially the Ones Who Didn’t Want to Become “Bosses”)

A follow-up for anyone who accidentally got promoted and is now trying to lead without losing their soul.

A few days ago, I shared advice for new developers. Today, I want to talk to the folks who’ve taken that next step—intentionally or not—into leadership.

First off, the dev tips? Still apply. Even in leadership, you’re still human. You’re still learning. And you’re still figuring it out like the rest of us.

But leadership brings a different kind of pressure. One where people start looking at you like you have all the answers… while you’re still secretly Googling half of them.

Here’s what I’ve learned—and what I try to live by every day.

🧍‍♂️ 1. Remember Why You Were Chosen

You got this role for a reason. Maybe it was your technical chops, your calm in chaos, or your ability to connect with others.
Whatever it was—it wasn’t because you’re amazing at corporate buzzwords.

Don’t try to become a different person now that you're in charge.
Don’t copy the loudest exec in the room.
Be you. That’s who they promoted.

🤝 2. Trust Your Team (and Ask Yourself Why You Don’t)

If you’re constantly hovering, second-guessing, or redoing your team’s work, ask yourself this:

Is it actually them… or is it you?

Most of the time, it’s a “you” problem. Learn to let go. If you hired well, trained well, and built the right environment—trust will carry the rest.

🧠 3. Trust Yourself, Too

You’re going to make mistakes.
You’re going to get blindsided.
You’ll make a call and question it five minutes later.

It’s all part of the job. The trick isn’t avoiding mistakes—it’s owning them, learning from them, and still showing up the next day.

🥤 4. You Don’t Have to Drink the Company Kool-Aid

Leadership doesn’t mean blind loyalty.

You can:

Disagree respectfully

Question decisions

Challenge broken systems

You might still have to carry out decisions you don’t love—but you can do it without losing your integrity. Some of the best improvements I’ve seen started with “Why are we doing it this way?”

🚫 5. Be a Leader—Not a Manager

Your job is not to micromanage people into submission.
You’re not a babysitter. You’re not a taskmaster.
You’re here to unblock, empower, and guide.

Developers don’t need a boss.
They need someone they trust to have their back.

🧍‍♀️ 6. Lead by Example

This one’s simple:
Never ask your team to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.

Want people to work late? You better be there with them.
Want them to write better docs? Start contributing.

If your title means anything, it should mean you go first.

🔄 7. Embrace Change—Because It’s Coming Either Way

Change isn’t optional. It’s not a threat. It’s the only way we grow.

“But this is how we’ve always done it”
= the fastest way to stall your team and your impact.

If something’s broken, fix it. If something’s outdated, improve it. If something’s working… still be open to making it better.

🧭 Final Thought

I try to live these tips every day. I trust my team to show up, solve problems, and do amazing work. I hope they trust that I’ll clear the roadblocks, protect their time, and never forget what it’s like to be in their seat.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve seen too many tech leaders forget—it’s that they used to be where their team is now.

Stay grounded. Stay human.
And lead like someone your younger self would actually want to work for.

✊ mullins.io
No-nonsense tech leadership from someone who still remembers how to write code.