Leading software development initiatives presents many challenges. Over the years I've come to see a core set of principles behind leading software developers well, and I'll share them in this post. Many aren't specific to managing developers; they're about leadership in general. I encourage you to develop your own core principles, because you can only be truly guided by principles you own. I've found that innovation flows from a positive development environment, so this article is ultimately about creating an environment where innovation, results and team development flourish.
Seven core principles
- Optimism
- Enthusiasm
- Integrity
- Courage
- Perseverance
- Knowledge
- Wisdom
Four key strengths
- Organization
- Vision
- Collaboration
- Communication
Here's how several of them play out in practice.
Communication
Communicate clearly and directly. Don't wait to correct undesirable habits; address them as soon as you see them. Praise developers for their good habits too, and never focus only on the negative. If a developer's habits are consistently poor, address it right away. If the problem isn't fixed, the developer may need to go through a formal, HR-sanctioned performance improvement plan, and if that doesn't produce improvement, the developer should be removed from the team.
Integrity
Be open, honest and transparent with your team, and never deceive them. Take responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them, and demand the same of your team. Be just as honest and transparent with the other groups you work with. You often represent your team to those groups, so represent it well, and always put the team above yourself.
Occasionally, putting your team first will conflict with company plans. The team depends on you to represent its interests, so you must be willing to fight for it, but never compromise your integrity. Check your gut and let your core principles guide you. If fighting for the team would seriously harm the larger business, focus instead on making sure the team is treated well. For example, suppose the team depends on a product line that's slipping, and the company decides it can no longer afford to support the product. Fight for the product and look for ways to make it more profitable. But if you come to see that the company is right to abandon it, put your effort into finding other products or groups in the company your developers can move to.
Optimism
Keep a positive attitude, even in a crisis. Your team takes its cues from you, and if you're negative, that attitude will spread. Treat every difficulty as an opportunity to succeed.
Guide, mentor, motivate and develop the team
Talk to each developer about their short- and long-term goals. Do all you can to help them reach those goals, even if one of them is to have your job someday. Build their career goals into your plans for them, and help them make progress. If a developer's goals are unrealistic, tell them. That can be very difficult, but it has to be addressed, because a developer with unrealistic goals won't be happy on the team. Be fair about it, though. An unrealistic goal isn't one that's too high to reach. It's one you believe could harm the team or the company, and so one you can't support. Identify your future leaders and delegate more responsibility to them.
Clearly communicate expectations
Let people know what's expected of them. Low performers may simply not be clear on the team's expectations, and they often improve once you spell those expectations out and give prompt feedback when they fall short. To build a high-performing team, you have to address low performance and help those individuals improve. It's demotivating for a team to watch some of its members fail to make a positive contribution.
Market your team
Make the rock stars on your team visible to the rest of the organization, and put the team before yourself. When the team makes a mistake that affects other teams, take responsibility and present it as a team problem you'll fix. Inside the team you can address the individuals responsible, but make every effort never to throw anyone under the bus in public.
Build relationships
Work hard, but make some time for fun. Keep a sense of humor, and talk about shared interests outside work. That builds rapport with the people you lead.
Empower developers, and give them room to design and be creative. Leaders who are especially strong coders often want to micromanage design and code. Resist the urge. If you see problems in a proposed design or coding approach, ask questions. Good questions can often lead developers to a better approach while leaving them free to think for themselves.
Build your developers up, and don't tear them down unless you sincerely believe it's warranted. When it is, be blunt and honest and make your point clearly and without fear, but take care not to do lasting damage. Your goal in those moments is to prevent a repeat and teach a lesson that sticks. Ultimately, your objective is to help the developer improve and reach new professional heights.
Conclusion
That's my philosophy of leading software development teams, but I'm always looking to learn and improve. If you have thoughts or feedback, use the contact form to send them.
First published February 12, 2015. Revised October 2026.