#7 Balancing Code & Leadership + The Power of Sponsorship & Recognition

Welcome back to Ask Hartley Anything, the podcast where I tackle your questions and share lessons from my journey as an engineering leader. This is episode seven, and today we’re diving into two topics that are close to my heart. First, how do you manage your time and yourself when you're a manager expected to code? Second, sponsorship and recognition in leadership—how do you sponsor and recognize your team members effectively?

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Before we jump in, remember you can always go to askhartley.com to submit your questions anonymously or with your name. I love working through these questions because management is something you learn by doing, often impacting those around you. So thinking through these scenarios helps prepare for when they arise.

Let's start with balancing coding and leadership as a manager. Imagine you're a front-end lead managing four people while still expected to contribute to projects. You might think a 50-50 split between management and coding will work, but it's not that simple. The context switching between coding and managing is vastly different. Coding problems are direct—either it works or it doesn’t. People problems are nuanced; solutions may take months to reveal their effectiveness.

So don't expect a strict 50-50 split. Priorities shift weekly; some weeks require more focus on individuals, others on code. The urgency also differs—a critical bug needs immediate attention, while a personal issue with a team member requires empathy and understanding.

Next, consider perception and expectations. Your team expects you to stay technical while leadership wants you focused on strategy. As an individual contributor, your job was to write and deliver code. As a manager, you're expected to see further ahead, strategizing across teams and projects.

Balancing these roles is tough, especially if it’s your first time managing. Strategy and people problems will be new territory, taking longer at first—and that’s okay. Here are some strategies that worked for me:

1. Time Blocking: It didn’t work well for me because interruptions are inevitable in management roles. If you try this, be very clear with everyone about your availability during these blocks.

2. Prioritize Value: Focus on smaller tasks that add value without becoming bottlenecks for your team. Let them handle complex issues requiring deep thought.

3. Delegate and Coach: Shift from execution to coaching. Delegate critical tasks but stay involved through PR reviews and architectural decisions without being the sole decision-maker.

4. Set Boundaries: Communicate clearly about when you'll be heads-down coding versus available for team issues.

Remember, as a manager who codes, your role is about multiplying the team’s effectiveness—not just executing tasks yourself.

Now onto our second topic: Sponsorship and recognition in leadership...

Strong sponsorship increases retention, morale, trust, fairness, and encourages diverse leadership growth.

Your success as a leader isn’t just about what you accomplish—it’s about who you elevate along the way.

On sponsorship and recognition, it's about elevating others and strengthening both individuals and the organization. Put them in the spotlight, amplify their voices, and ensure they're heard even if they’re quiet.

Moving on to sponsorship and recognition in leadership: Recognition drives engagement, retention, and career growth because it shows what behaviors are rewarded. Sponsorship helps underrepresented employees advance by putting them in visible positions.

There’s a difference between sponsorship and mentorship—mentorship offers advice; sponsorship actively advocates for someone's career growth by giving them opportunities for visibility.

Here are some practical ways to sponsor as a leader:

1. Public Credit: Acknowledge team members' work in meetings or updates without taking credit yourself.

2. Create Visibility Opportunities: Pull team members into decision-making meetings or let them present topics they’re experts in.

3. Push for Promotions/Raises: Document their impact consistently so it’s easy to advocate for them during promotion cycles.

4. Assign Stretch Projects: Give high-potential employees critical projects to build their credibility.

5. Celebrate Day-to-Day Wins: Regularly highlight both big achievements and small improvements in team communications.

So, how do you balance leadership and coding? Who has sponsored you, or whom have you sponsored in your career? Share your thoughts at askhartley.com or message me on LinkedIn.

That wraps it up for today. Next week, we'll have Michael Yodiv, a colleague of mine, discussing documentation. If you have questions about documentation in current, previous, or future organizations, drop me a note at AskHarley.com. We'll answer them live in a rapid-fire session—it’s going to be fun! That's all for Episode 8 next week. Thanks for listening. Have a great week!