On Building Software
Championing the Doer
A pep talk for those of you building software alone
You’re going to build software alone because you’re a doer. You probably haven’t been applauded publicly for all of your doing though. I’m not saying you need that, but everyone needs their ego inflated from time-to-time.
So I, for one, applaud you. Stand up and take a bow.
Society champions the leader of the group. The one guiding the mass of doers toward greener pastures. Every career ladder projects toward positions of leadership and management.
We idolize leaders.
Let me share a few quotes on leadership from some people you may have heard of.
“Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way.” — Ronald Reagan
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” — Dwight Eisenhower
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” — Sheryl Sandberg
“True leadership lies in guiding others to success. In ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well.” — Bill Owens
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” — Reagan, again.
Notice a common theme? We don’t talk enough about the fact that the biggest factor that determines a good leader is the sheer luck of finding really good doers. Ones that self-manage. They lead themselves.
As for the leader? Hire well. Get out of the way. And give a good speech from time-to-time.
What of the doers? The people making the hundreds and thousands of difficult detailed decisions in the real work? Where’s their claim to fame?
When you are super-small, all you have is doers. Leadership becomes a natural extension of each individual — not a separate job. The glory is in the doing.
In a well-run small company, each person is doing a lot of good work autonomously while leading in their own way simultaneously — encouraging and guiding the others when needed, and staying out of the way otherwise.
I’m not saying leadership isn’t important. I’m saying doership is more important. We should champion the doer.
They did the work.
Put them on the pedestal.
When the Chicago Bulls beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 1989 NBA playoffs thanks to Michael Jordan’s famous “Shot”, Doug Collins, the Bulls head coach, was asked by a media member about what they discussed in the timeout huddle before the game-winning basket.
“Give the ball to Michael, everybody get the fuck out of the way.”
Doug Collins led.
Michael Jordan did.
Congrats champ.