A CIO has many important tasks, yet none may be more critical than selecting team leaders. Choosing even one incompetent or lazy team leader can generate negative repercussions across the entire enterprise.
The biggest mistake is making the most technically competent person the team leader, said Robert Kelley, distinguished service professor of management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. “The thinking is that you promote the best technical person, since they can oversee the work of others, spot their mistakes and make sure any rework is done properly.”
In real life, however, technical competence doesn’t automatically equate with leadership competence. “These are two separate arenas with not a lot of overlap,” he said. “The best technical people often become micromanagers who overdirect team members or who jump in and do the work themselves.”
Pavlo Tkhir, CTO at software development company Euristiq, agreed. He believes that taking a top expert and assuming that great technical skills will magically turn into great leadership is an idea that can easily backfire. “On paper, it makes perfect sense — in real life, it usually blows up fast,” he warned.
The danger is twofold. “You’ll lose an amazing expert because they stop doing what they’re brilliant at, and you end up with a team that suddenly has no real leadership,” Tkhir said. “I’ve watched a team go from ‘we’ve got this’ to ‘what is even happening?’ in just a couple of months.”
An ideal team leader should be fully responsible for the team and its performance, have a sufficiently high level of technical expertise, and also be willing to listen to any employee on the team, said Roman Rylko, CTO at Python development company Pynest. “All of these qualities should be checked in advance on small tasks,” he advised. “Then let the leader candidate manage a sub-team — implement a feature, lead an internal project — and then gather honest feedback on the result.”
Choose wisely
It’s important to select team leaders who have shown that they possess the ability, or at least the potential, to lead others, Kelley said. “These people need to be sufficiently technically competent so that others trust their technical proficiency, but they don’t have to be the top technical person.”
Kelley said CIOs should choose individuals who have shown they can work well with others as a player/coach, can help develop team members’ skills and competencies, and have the ability to bring people together to tackle a difficult task.
The CIO should also look for someone who will turn to technical experts when needed, and is willing to reach out across organizational boundaries to bring in outside resources and perspectives when needed. “Most important, they need to appreciate the fact that leadership requires a whole new set of competencies.”
Damage control
Rely on team input and your own observations to determine if a failing team leader can be put on a correct course by providing proper training and mentoring, Kelley suggested. Have a heart-to-heart discussion with the incompetent team leader, he said. “Take ownership of the fact that you put them in a position where they aren’t succeeding.”
Then ask the leader what caused things to go sideways, and share your perspective. “Ask if they would like to try to turn things around by developing a performance improvement plan, or if they would prefer to return to being a star individual contributor, where they have already excelled and can do so again.”
Meanwhile, talk to the team members to get their view on what the team leader is doing wrong, Kelley said.” See if there are common threads,” he recommended. “Ask them what they would like to see happen and whether they think the team lead is salvageable.”
Final thoughts
Speed matters. “Put the failing leader back where they shine, bring in a temporary experienced lead and get the team’s basic rhythms back on track,” Tkhir said. “It’s not about blaming anyone — it’s about preventing long-term damage and helping everyone get back into their zone.”
Kelley agreed. “If you think that she or he can reintegrate back into the organization as an individual contributor, then do so,” he recommended. “If not, offer to help the individual find another position in the organization, or help them find a job with another employer.”
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