Striking the Balance Between Technical and People Leadership

Leadership roles are now more nuanced than ever before.

Two distinct types of leadership that I often see come into play is technical leadership and people leadership. Both are crucial for the success of any workplace, but they require different skill sets and approaches. Understanding the differences between these as well as your preference can help you navigate your career and you’re your organisation create balanced leadership teams.

When I think of technical leaders, I picture people that have come from a technical role and are still involved in the doing.  It might be at a higher level, but your organisation is set up so that your level of involvement is high.  You may be an expert in your field who guides a team through complex technical challenges or are the go-to person for technical guidance and are responsible for ensuring the technical quality of the team's work.  For technical leaders, the technical work tends to take higher priority than leading people.

When I think of people leaders, I think of a focus on managing and developing individuals and the team as a whole. You see yourself as responsible for supporting the well-being, performance, and growth of your team members, creating a positive work culture and aligning the team's efforts with the organisation's objectives.  People are front and centre of what you do.

When you reflect on the concept of a technical and people leader, where do you see yourself?

The needs of your people and your team are always shifting, which means our leadership style require a delicate balance between technical expertise and people management. If we have a strong preference for one over the other, it means we can overly prioritise at the expense of the other, meaning we aren’t always giving our team what they need.

Let’s explore the common traps we can get caught in when as a technical leader we neglect people management and when as a people leader we lack technical focus.  As we go through these, which ones do you automatically think “that’s me”.

• Focusing solely on technical tasks has led to a disconnect with your team, causing a lack of communication and collaboration.
• As a technical leader I know I can fall into the trap of micromanaging technical tasks, wanting to ensure oversight of every aspect of the technical output. I know I can stifle the team's creativity and autonomy, leading to frustration.
• I know I can drive hard on technical outcomes that can lead to burnout in my team members, I rarely find the time to celebrate wins, or recognise when I or others need a break.
• As a technical leader who doesn’t naturally prioritise people, I can be oblivious to interpersonal conflicts or what the teams sees as not working, I expect them to get on with the job.  
• As a people leader I have high empathy, I need to ensure I have strong boundaries so I also have time to get all of the technical work done.

So how do we avoid these traps?  It all comes down to balance and knowing when you need to adapt.

• If you are a technical leader, invest in developing your people skills. Conversely, if you are a people leader, enhance your technical knowledge to better support your team.
• As a technical leader learn to delegate appropriately and trust your team to take ownership of their work, whether it's technical tasks or people-related initiatives.
• Create an environment where technical issues and people-related concerns can be discussed openly and addressed promptly.
• Encourage collaboration between technical and non-technical team members to bridge the gap between these two aspects of leadership.
• Regularly seek feedback from your team on both technical and people-related issues. This can help you identify areas where you might be falling into these traps and make the necessary adjustments.

Both technical and people leaders play crucial roles in the success of your team and  organisation. While a technical leader ensures that the team delivers high-quality technical solutions, a people leader ensures that the team is motivated, cohesive, and aligned with the broader goals of the organisation. For a team to thrive, both types of leadership are essential, your challenge is to know when to pull on which lever, and not get stuck in what may be your dominant style of leadership.