Hard work doesn’t get you promoted in tech, it gets you more work. If you’re exhausted, overlooked, and still “almost senior,” this post breaks down the trap high performers fall into and how to escape it.
LeadDontCtrl is officially on YouTube. I’m posting rebellious leadership shorts that cut through the corporate fluff, with long-form videos coming soon. If you’re done with boring leadership takes, this is your new home. Subscribe and join the rebellion.
Stop leading by dashboard. Productivity isn’t tickets closed, it’s trust built. Teams don’t follow metrics; they follow leaders who have their back. Build trust, and the output will follow.
Your quiet engineer just shipped a system-saving patch while the loud guy monologued through standup. Volume isn’t value. Learn to recognize and reward the real MVPs, especially the ones not shouting for attention.
If you're calling a meeting every time you need to make a decision, you're not leading, you're crowd-sourcing accountability. Leadership takes guts, not group votes. Stop hosting game night and start making the call.
