Leadership in Engineering: Lessons from the Trail and the Gym

Great leadership is often less about commanding from the front and more about enabling others to succeed on their own terms. As an Engineering Manager, I've found that the roles I play—mentor, strategist, listener, and technical advisor—are best captured through two familiar analogies: the hiking guide and the gym coach. These two roles mirror my leadership philosophy: a blend of servant, transformational, and situational leadership.

Like a Hiking Guide: Navigating the Terrain Together

Imagine a hiking guide leading a group through challenging but beautiful terrain. The guide doesn't carry everyone's pack or walk every path first—they know the route, the risks, and the milestones, but they allow each hiker to experience the journey for themselves.

In engineering teams, I see myself in this guide role. I understand each team member's strengths and pace, just like a guide assesses who might need rest or who can take on steeper paths. I plan tasks based on comfort and interest zones, pairing exploratory work (like trying a new tool or tackling a novel architecture) with the right person. I make sure that everyone feels safe and heard—if someone wants to take a detour and explore a new approach, I encourage it, as long as it aligns with the group's progress.

Just like in hiking, the goal isn't just to reach the summit, but to help each person grow stronger and more confident along the way.

Like a Gym Coach: Strengthening Over Time

A great gym coach doesn't just bark orders—they personalize routines, track progress, and give constructive feedback to help individuals improve.

In engineering, I mentor team members by identifying what they're capable of now and what they could grow into, gradually increasing challenges while offering the right level of support. I provide consistent, tailored feedback, much like a coach corrects form or adjusts reps. I step in to help solve technical blockers, the way a coach might step in to spot a lift—offering assistance without taking over.

And perhaps most importantly, a gym coach knows when to push for performance and when to prioritize recovery—something I apply by respecting my team's bandwidth, mental load, and motivation levels.

Orchestrator, Not Executor

Whether on the trail or in the gym, the leader isn't the one doing the heavy lifting—they create the conditions for others to succeed. I view my role as the orchestrator, aligning individual contributions toward a shared outcome, providing context, and ensuring psychological safety.

This also means adapting my leadership style based on the team and the moment. For a new hire, I may take a more hands-on, directive approach. For a seasoned developer, I provide autonomy, trusting them to lead initiatives. In a crisis (like a production outage), I may briefly shift into an autocratic mode to stabilize the situation before stepping back again.

Final Thoughts

Leadership in engineering isn't about being the smartest in the room or making all the calls. It's about building an environment where your team is empowered, motivated, and equipped to do their best work.

Whether guiding a team through architectural mountains or coaching individuals to build technical strength, I aim to lead with empathy, adaptability, and purpose—always keeping the long-term growth of the team in focus. The best leaders don't create followers; they create more leaders. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply get out of the way and let your team shine.

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