In the world of technology, DevOps, and engineering leadership, success isn’t just about technical expertise—it’s about how well you lead people through challenges. Leader means everyone who takes up the charge. You do not need a title to be a leader!
This article explores what makes great leaders stand out and how these principles apply to problem-solving, DevOps incident handling, and customer issue resolution.
1️⃣ Authenticity Builds Trust—A Key Factor in Tech Leadership
People don’t follow titles; they follow leaders they trust. In tech teams, trust ensures faster debugging, smoother deployments, and stronger collaboration.
🛠 How to Apply This:
- Show real experiences—share your successes and failures.
- Lead by example—don’t just talk about best practices, follow them.
- Admit when you don’t have all the answers—this builds credibility.
🌀 Tech Example:
- Microsoft’s Satya Nadella transformed the company by embracing transparency and empathy.
- A SpaceX engineer halted a launch to address a minor issue, reinforcing a culture of precision over pride.
⚡ Why This Matters in DevOps & Customer Issue Handling:
When a critical system fails, leaders who are transparent and accountable can rally the team toward solutions faster than those who assign blame.
2️⃣ Embrace Vulnerability to Strengthen Teams—Essential for Handling Incidents
🔎 The Reality: Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it creates psychological safety, which is critical in high-stakes DevOps environments.
🎯 Leadership Actions:
- Encourage open discussion of failures—teams should learn, not fear consequences.
- Ask for help when needed—it’s a sign of strength, not incompetence.
- Create an environment where team members raise concerns early, reducing last-minute incidents.
💡 How This Helps in Tech & DevOps:
- If a production outage happens, a leader who seeks solutions instead of blaming the team creates a collaborative culture that fixes problems faster.
- Google’s Project Aristotle found that teams with high psychological safety were 50% more productive.
3️⃣ Lead with Expertise and Empathy—Balance Technical & People Skills
Leadership in technology is a mix of two things:
💻 Technical credibility (to earn respect)
💬 Empathy (to earn loyalty)
🚀 How to Improve This:
- Stay hands-on with technology—understand DevOps, CI/CD, and cloud trends.
- Actively listen to team members—a 10-minute conversation can prevent a major burnout.
- Recognize the emotional side of handling escalations and high-pressure incidents.
🔵 Example in DevOps:
If an outage affects thousands of users, a leader with technical knowledge can ask the right questions instead of waiting for engineers to figure things out.
👀 Why It Matters:
- Engineers respect leaders who understand their challenges.
- Customers trust leaders who acknowledge their frustrations and communicate solutions clearly.
4️⃣ Cultivate a Unique Leadership Brand—Become the “Go-To” Person
👁️ Why This Matters:
Great leaders stand out because they bring something unique to the table—whether it’s vision, strategy, or an innovative mindset.
🔥 Actionable Steps:
- Identify your strengths—are you a data-driven leader, a hands-on problem solver, or a strategic thinker?
- Develop a signature leadership style—engineers remember those who support them under pressure.
- Never stop learning—today’s DevOps landscape is constantly evolving.
🌍 How This Helps in Tech & DevOps:
If a live incident occurs, a leader with data-driven thinking can focus on root causes, not knee-jerk reactions.
5️⃣ Foster Inclusivity and Innovation—Key to Solving Problems Fast
🎭 Why This Matters:
A diverse team isn’t just an HR metric—it directly impacts innovation and problem-solving.
🔄 Ways to Lead Inclusively:
- Rotate leadership roles in retrospectives so junior engineers gain confidence.
- Support bold ideas—let engineers propose solutions before executives dictate them.
- Encourage cross-team collaboration—security, DevOps, and engineering should work together, not in silos.
🌟 How This Helps in DevOps & Customer Issues:
A team that feels valued and empowered will proactively raise concerns before they escalate into major outages.
📊 Fact: Companies with high diversity drive 19% higher revenue (McKinsey Study).
6️⃣ Communicate with Clarity and Purpose—Especially in Incident Management
🎯 Why This Matters:
When dealing with production failures or security incidents, poor communication leads to chaos.
🗣️ How to Improve This Skill:
- Translate technical jargon into clear business impact for stakeholders.
- Set small, measurable goals when solving a complex DevOps issue.
- Develop runbooks and escalation paths for handling high-severity incidents.
⚠️ Example:
If a customer reports a critical issue, a leader who can communicate the problem clearly to engineers and executives will drive a faster resolution.
7️⃣ Adaptability in a Remote-First World—Flexibility Wins
📌 The Challenge:
74% of tech companies now operate hybrid or remote—leaders must adapt to new work models.
🌍 How to Lead in Remote DevOps Teams:
- Use async tools—Loom videos, Slack threads, and Notion docs reduce unnecessary meetings.
- Trust the team—shift from micro-management to outcome-based leadership.
- Encourage clear documentation—ensuring global teams can work without constant supervision.
⚡ How This Helps in DevOps:
A remote-first DevOps team needs well-documented incident response guides and automation workflows to function smoothly.
Final Takeaways—Be the Leader You Would Follow
🔹 Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
🔹 Stay authentic, adaptable, and accountable.
🔹 Develop emotional intelligence—leadership is 90% people, 10% process.
🔹 Show vulnerability, but strategically—admit mistakes and encourage learning.
🔹 Lead with vision, not just authority—inspire, don’t instruct.
📢 In the words of Brené Brown:
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.”
Inspired by HBR’s “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?” (2000) article.
Also book: Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader
Special Thank you Nandu Nandkishore who taught this during my ISB programme.
