We’re in a genuinely different moment. The pace of change means that what works today might not work in a couple of months. Let alone what worked so far in your career. This isn’t the usual “things are changing” platitude. Things are actually shifting substantially. What should you do as a tech leader?
Stop Trusting Those Who “Know”
Anyone giving you a list of “what leadership means now” is deluding themselves (or selling something). I’ve spoken to dozens of leaders recently, and one thing’s clear: there’s no single approach that’s winning. Many have already gone through multiple iterations. The people who sound most confident are often just the loudest.
This doesn’t mean that you need to throw everything out of the window. Some of the principles at the core of leadership remain as relevant today as ever. However, you cannot try to drink from the firehose and try every new idea on LinkedIn, nor can you stick your head in the sand. It’s time to restart.
You’re A Noob, Embrace It
To an extent, many experienced leaders are genuinely beginners again. It’s uncomfortable, but also rare and valuable. Curiosity is always a competitive advantage, but now even more so.
The leaders who I see struggling the most are clinging to their experience too hard. They think, “I already know how to do this.” The ones thriving are those who put aside their egos and started asking questions again.
Personally, I find this liberating. When nobody knows the answer, experimentation becomes obviously critical. You don’t need to justify wanting to try new things. Your new default should be to experiment.
Be Deliberate, Not Paralyzed
Many are really overwhelmed right now, and I understand it. When everything could change, it’s easy to freeze and do nothing. Don’t try to reset the universe. You don’t have to throw everything out the window right now.
Instead, start by picking one specific thing. Define the hypothesis explicitly. What do you expect to happen? For example, some are betting on fitting more engineers into each team, while others are changing their tech stack to match what agents seem to do best.
Being explicit about experimentation also gives you and your team psychological safety. If it’s framed as an experiment, “failure” is just data. If it’s framed as “the new strategy,” failure is a crisis. Aim for discovery, insights, and rapid learning. Don’t assume you’ll find the ultimate answer that will then hold for years.
Don’t Rock the Boat Too Much
This isn’t a license to blow everything up. Small, contained experiments with clear boundaries are going to get you to improve much faster. Think of it like a portfolio. Keep most things stable, yet run a few deliberate experiments. You cannot A/B test the entire org.
Iteration is key here. You won’t find “it” and be done. Again, many leaders have iterated and tweaked things. That’s the pattern we’re aiming for here. Leadership requires getting good at iterating fast and not getting too attached to any specific way of doing things.
If you haven’t changed anything meaningful in how you lead in the last 6 months, you’re late to the party. We’re having fun over here.