[rmah]

The tech lead started out by complaining about...When he finished complaining...

My manager doesn't know anything about the code, my project, or the release project.

IOW, your team has no leadership and no management. Your team lead may be called that, but sounds like he doesn't lead at all. Your manager may be called that, but he doesn't manage either. This happens a lot when people are given responsibility without any authority (probably the case for you "team lead"), or authority over things they don't understand (probably the case for your "manager").

The bad news is that you're part of a disorganized mob. The good news is that there is a leadership vacuum that, if you play your cards right, you could fill. If you want. Of course, even if you succeed, it's possible no one will care about your accomplishments. And you will probably make enemies. It's possible you'll be rewarded but given your description, I view that as unlikely.

As a side note, suggesting to the team lead that he lead and do X, Y or Z may appear to him as if you want him to take on risks with little upside. He's probably thought about doing those things anyway but just decided it's not worth the trouble. It's not all that surprising that he doesn't want to rock the boat.

[Scarblac]

> The good news is that there is a leadership vacuum that, if you play your cards right, you could fill. If you want.

Perhaps. I thought so once in exactly this situation, and it led to an incredible amount of frustration, and burnout. And others were hurt the same way. That leadership vacuum was very real, but nobody wanted it to be filled by anyone already in the company, it turned out.

Eventually we got a very competent new team lead from outside and he was accepted by everyone immediately. For one of the teams anyway; the other one is still a complete mess. I just make sure I'm on the right one.

[nickthemagicman]

This resonated strongly with me.

If you don't want to become a leader, what do you do in a disorganized mob situation? Leave?

[newswasboring]

Sometimes there is someone else who wants to lead but can't due to political reasons. You can try supporting them. Little things like seconding someone's ideas can go a long way. At least in the place I work at.

[pm90]

Most often the answer is yes, unfortunately. If you have options make use of them.

If you have to stay, it helps to try and make your team a nice place to be. I remember a manager that would organize team lunches and would give Fridays off (unofficially) making the team an oasis in the middle of a corporate desert. But I can’t imagine it was easy for him to deal with a dysfunctional leadership and coworkers…

[tonyedgecombe]

Take the stoical approach. Focus on what's in within your locus of control and ignore everything else.

[_y5hn]

I've come to the same conclusion in recent years. What you can do is optimize your end of work so the dysfunction impacts you less and less. Alot of work is really just BS that nobody wants to touch, but ends up on somebody's desk. Someone just has to bite that apple and document the hell out of it, make playbooks, automate and delegate. You can get management support for putting responsibility where it should be ("shift left"), while you answer questions, direct people to references and generally empower those around you.

So either you become your island and power on from your base, or you become part of the dysfunction as a leader. Leaders who succeed in this are rare enough they write books about it, most of it fiction..

[Scarblac]

There is often room for personal initiative in such cases; do what you can, make sure to not try to do more than you can, and be happy with it.

[someguydave]

not every situation can be fixed

[tata71]

Find the/a leader, make sure they can secure your interests, empower them?

[alxlaz]

Unless you're being paid to coach the leader, this is just work their boss should be doing and which you're doing for free.

[tata71]

Right.

They asked what can you do besides leaving.

Should just leave.

[ilteris]

Unfortunately this. I really like how you have articulated the problem. Disorganized mob. This mob also loves moving from one team to another inside the company once they deem to think they exhaust the resources in the former and once the product is dead. I think it happens sooner or later in enterprise. It sucks.