| I think the distinction between manager and developer is an important one. Expecting a developer to become a high functioning manager is equally unrealistic to expect a technically minded manager to be able to make meaningful contributions to the code base. I also fully agree that management is a discipline that is overlooked; often oddly by managers themselves. I attribute this phenomenon to my observation that many managers in startups growing into the role rather than coming from a formal MBA type background. I would go one step further and say that a manager doesn't necessarily have to be a leader either, with leadership being another unique discipline. A lot of comments here cover similar ground by using similar titles for different roles, which is understandable as different organisations have different needs and may assign a title that is not the most appropriate. The author basically makes the same argument by admitting that different scenarios require different skill sets such as mediation, architecture, advocation, etc. However, the author takes a idealistic view that admits ideally any competent team member should be able to step up to the role when required. In my experience though, in an organisation that requires structure, predictability, and on a compensation level as well, dedicated titles are important. It becomes even more important depending on the broader organisation and national culture. For teams that come from countries with high power distance, the difference in having opinions come from a "team leader" versus a co-worker can be received quite differently. Therefore, I think the article has been able to create such an active discussion is because of the circumstantial nature of an appropriate answer. Coincidentally such discussions are often a trigger for teams to wish that there were a leader who can make a decision and for others to fall in line so that everyone can get on with actual work. |