Why your team needs you to have soft skills as a Tech Lead

Intro

What your team truly expects from you as a Tech Lead isn’t just technical expertise.

When I first stepped into the Tech Lead role, I thought my job was all about technical expertise: solving problems, making decisions, and delivering projects.

But I quickly realized that wasn’t enough.

What my team truly needed was direction - to know where we were going and how we’d get there. They needed support for growth - to take on new challenges and develop their skills. And they needed an example to follow - someone to set the tone for how we worked together.

These weren’t things I could provide by focusing solely on the code. I had to develop my soft skills, and here’s why they matter so much.

1️⃣ Clear Direction: helping your team navigate the path