Hi,
How can I become a team/department lead? I guess I’m starting to feel tired of having a vision and not being able to implement it because I have 0 political power in a company.
I thought that the easiest way was to join a startup as the first person of a “department” in a company, but now I’m not sure how it’s possible to get hired to a startup on the early stage.
Hi, no. I cannot imagine telling my boss that I think I’m better than he so I want to replace him.
The problem of telling a boss of my boss is that I have no real pro arguments why should he choose me as a leader to replace the current lead, that has been working in the company much longer than I am.
I also can’t really resolve problems of a boss of my boss because 90% of my tasks - is a “customer” support and low effort copy paste bug fixes, so I have no place to “show myself”.
I’m not talking about my current job only, it’s my 6th company now, and previous experiences were more or less the same.
You don’t have to replace your boss. Just help them organise stuff. A healthy (in capitalist terms) company is steadily growing, making management more and more complex.
Maybe they want to get a promotion themselves. Having someone already available to pick up their responsibilities gives them better arguments for their own promotion.
And, if they aren’t recognizing you for your efforts, hopefully you’re learning the process enough to move on to another company? Sometimes just being able to “speak the language” of that position in an interview is enough to get on the door, even if you’re light on actual experience. Many people are doing the jobs of their managers already!
Really? That seems a little unusual. The handful of places I’ve worked have all asked me what kind of direction I want to move in, with management path being an option (which I didn’t pursue).
Actually getting those roles is another story. I’ve seen leaders go for many years without becoming managers, others switch over somewhat quick. But it seems like being open about what you want you work toward should, in a good work environment, get you some support toward it.
Doesn’t have to mean you’re trying to steal your boss’s job. Could be stepping into a support or backup role for them, being ready to fill the shoes if they get promoted or job hop or retire, or could just mean getting some leadership practice. You can frame it as professional development, to be ready for other internal lead roles if they open. Then when/if they don’t, use that experience to apply at other companies too.
A good boss won’t have problems with that - they are always looking for their next position anyway and having a replacement ready to go is good - if you can’t be replaced you can’t be promoted. A good boss will help your get involved with the politics needed to be good at this. A good boss will put your name up for leads in a different department where there is an opening that you wouldn’t even know about.
Note that I said good boss above. Not all bosses are good.