🎮 Tech Leadership as a Co-Op Game (But One of You Keeps Friendly Firing)

Leadership isn’t a single-player campaign—stop acting like it is.

Let’s be real: building software is a co-op game.
We’ve got roles, classes, shared objectives, and the occasional teammate who decides now is the perfect time to “experiment” with production.

But here's the plot twist they don't teach in leadership bootcamp:
Just because you’re the team lead doesn’t mean you’re carrying.

In fact, you might be the one accidentally fragging your own squad.

🧱 "You Picked the Tank. Stop Whining About Taking Damage."

If you're a tech lead, congrats—you picked the tank class. You're here to absorb the hits, clear the path, and make sure the squishy DPS devs can actually do their jobs without being annihilated by surprise requirements or upper management AOEs.

Don’t moan when the client rage-pings you. That’s your job. That’s why you’re spec’d with patience and shield-wall PowerPoint decks.

Want to be the sniper in the hills taking clean shots with no pressure? Sorry, that was last role. You're in the frontlines now. Act like it.

💣 "Quit Friendly Firing Your Own Team"

Leadership fail checklist:

• Asking someone to “speak up more” then shutting them down mid-sentence ✅
• Micromanaging “just to be sure” ✅
• Delegating a task and then rewriting it over the weekend “as a surprise gift” ✅

That’s not leading. That’s accidental sabotage.

Your devs don’t need to be tested—they need to be trusted. You’re not playing against them. You’re on the same squad.
Stop pulling the trigger just because you're nervous.

🎧 "The Best Leaders Have Comms, Not Commands"

You ever play with someone who just barks orders and doesn’t listen?
Yeah. Nobody likes that teammate.

Great co-op players communicate. They call out danger. They ping loot. They ask, “need help?” instead of assuming.

Same goes in teams:

• Give context
• Share vision
• Ask what people need, not what they’ve done

Command-and-control is just speedrunning your way into a team wipe.

🚫 "You Can’t Speedrun Team Growth"

There’s no “hack” to make your devs faster, your standups shorter, or your velocity chart prettier—at least not without breaking stuff (and people).

Leveling up takes time. Mistakes. Learning curves. Revives.

You want a high-performing team? Let them play the game. You’re not there to skip cutscenes. You’re there to make sure everyone’s got the right gear and a shot at success.

🧠 "Every Dev Has a Role. Your Job Is to Make Sure They’re Actually Playing It."

Stop giving the support dev all the cleanup work. Stop making the healer carry tickets and your emotional load.

Know your team. Know their strengths. And most importantly—let them play their damn role.

Good leadership isn’t about doing it all.
It’s about making sure no one has to.

🎤 TL;DR

Tech leadership isn’t a solo campaign.
It’s not about MVP kills.
It’s about team survival.

So next time you suit up for the sprint?

Pick your role. Watch your fire. Share the loot.

And if someone’s down, don’t criticize their loadout—revive them and keep moving.

✊ Lead. Don't Ctrl.
Rebellious tech leadership. No aim assist required.

Hey, since you made it this far, you might actually care about becoming a better leader. Good news: I wrote an ebook that’ll help you skip years of trial and error.

📘 Get Tech Leadership Made Simple.