The satisfaction of being a manager

"Would it be possible for me to transition back to an individual contributor role?" asked my mentee in his early manager role.

"Absolutely, whatever makes you happier. What troubles you about your current role?" I inquired.

"I miss the direct contribution and seeing the results of my work firsthand. Instead, everything is accomplished through others. I'm tired of the endless meetings; I've begun to question the purpose of it all," he sighed.

"Don't you find fulfillment in witnessing the growth of your team members? Seeing them progress and advance in their careers?" I added.

"I do rejoice in their advancements, but I often question whether their growth is a result of my guidance, or just their personal development. Can I ask why you chose to become a manager?" he questioned.

"Well, it was a while ago. I transitioned from a technical lead role into people management because I appeared to be the right fit to lead the team. I admit, I was not prepared for the complexities of people management, project management, or product management. Looking back, I was only just beginning to grasp my tech lead role," I recalled, taking a moment.

"Do you still enjoy being a manager?" he queried.

"Yes, I certainly do. Of course, there are aspects of managerial roles that I'm not fond of. I sometimes miss the hands-on experiences, the instant gratification of having all unit tests passed. There are days when I feel adrift, enduring a day full of meetings, or you may say - one damned thing after another, coupled with the tedious paperwork of managing people...

However, there are two reasons why I appreciate my SDM role: (1) I derive great pleasure from nurturing people, assisting them in their growth, and observing the progress they make due to my coaching. I also relish creating opportunities for the right people to flourish. It's like a gardener: you plant the right seed in the right soil, provide it with water, temperature, nutrients, and time, then allow nature to do the rest. (2) Leading a large team allows me to deliver grander results. While I may no longer be directly designing and coding, I'm still architecting and engineering, but on a much larger scale. When I am at my best I plant ideas into people's minds like the movie "Inception", nurture them, and gently steer people and projects in the right direction. As individuals are planting trees, I envision the forest. But I handle this vision gently, revealing just enough to keep the team motivated, not too much to scare them prematurely. Until one day, the grand vision becomes reality and everyone perceives it as if that's how it's meant to be!

Then I take my beer in the sidelines, observing the celebrations and reveling in a moment of peace. That, for me, is the true satisfaction in being a manager today!"

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lao Tzu