Beyond Tech Job Titles: How to Identify Leadership Roles That Actually Fit

3 ways to lead in tech—find the path that fits you best

Photo by Resume Genius on Unsplash

I’m excited to share this guest post from my friend, Gábor Till, an experienced engineering leader whose views on leadership align closely with mine. I asked him to explore an important topic:

There’s more than one way to lead in the tech industry. Gábor highlights three distinct paths—and what each role entails. Understanding these differences now can help you choose the right path and avoid the wrong fit later.

Over to you, Gábor.

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Tech job titles can be misleading. A Tech Lead at one company spends most of their time mentoring engineers, while at another, they’re still coding full-time. An Engineering Manager might be hands-off, leading multiple teams, or they could be deep in meetings and still writing plenty of code.

Many software engineers step into leadership without knowing what they’re really signing up for.

I was no exception.

I started as a developer, moved into a lead role while also taking on Scrum Master duties, and later became an Engineering Manager. At first, I thought leadership meant taking on more responsibility and working harder. What I learned is that not every leadership role is the same, and choosing the right one matters more than just getting promoted.

Here’s how to figure out which leadership path actually suits you.

Leadership Titles Mean Nothing Without Context

A Staff Engineer at a startup might design entire systems, while at a large company, they might just review code and give technical input. A Tech Lead could be fully hands-on or spend most of their time running meetings and mentoring.

The title doesn’t define the job—the day-to-day work does.

If you’re looking for a leadership role, ignore the title. Look at what they expect you to own and deliver.

The Three Leadership Paths in Tech

Most leadership roles fall into three categories:

1. Technical Leadership: Designing architecture, making system decisions, setting coding standards. Titles: Architect, Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer, Tech Lead (with technical focus).

2. People Leadership: Mentoring, coaching, and managing engineers to help them grow. Titles: Engineering Manager, Tech Lead (with mentoring focus).

3. Strategic Leadership: Driving big initiatives, working with executives, making business decisions. Titles: Director of Engineering, VP of Engineering, CTO.

Each path requires different skills and responsibilities. Picking the wrong one can easily leave you stuck in a position where you struggle.

The Work You'll Actually Do

Moving into leadership almost always means less coding and more communication. The real question isn’t just Do I want to be a leader? but What will I be spending my time on?

• Tech Leads run standups, do code reviews, and help others solve technical issues.

• Engineering Managers handle hiring, 1:1s, and project coordination.

• Architects work on high-level system design, often with little or zero coding.

The transition to leadership roles isn’t always straightforward. You may gradually take over the leadership role and find that you spend more time in planning meetings than in technical meetings. If you would rather not end up like this, it's best to get this straight as soon as possible.

What Companies Value in Leadership Roles

Leadership is about more than technical skills. Companies expect leaders to:

• Remove roadblocks: Ensure the team delivers efficiently.

• Mentor and grow others: Help engineers level up.

• Influence decisions: Work with stakeholders and executives.

Leadership isn’t about individual success—it’s about the team’s success. If you enjoy seeing others grow, leadership might be a good fit. But if solving complex technical problems excites you more, a Staff Engineer or Principal Engineer role might be the better move.

How I Figured Out My Leadership Path

Early in my career, I thought moving into leadership was the obvious next step. Once I got there, I realized I enjoyed mentoring engineers but hated sitting in endless meetings.

Later, I moved into a role where I could coach engineers without spending most of my time in meetings. That’s when I realized there are multiple ways to lead—and following the default career ladder isn’t always the best choice.

For me, working efficiently means doing work that energizes me, not drains me.

Avoiding the Wrong Leadership Role

I’ve seen engineers step into leadership and regret it—some even give up their title to return to hands-on work.

What were the reasons?

• They didn’t realize how much of their time would be spent in meetings.

• They wanted to stay hands-on, but leadership pulled them away from technical work.

• They thought leadership was the only way to advance.

Leadership is not the next step in your career, it's a career shift. If you pick the wrong path, you’ll end up drained, unmotivated, and possibly burned out. I know from experience that this is not a pleasant situation.

The Right Move for Your Career

If you’re thinking about leadership, focus on the work itself, not just the title or salary.

• If you want to stay technical, consider Staff Engineer or Principal Engineer roles.

• If you love mentoring but don’t want to manage, a Tech Lead (with mentoring focus) role could be a great fit.

• If you’re ready for full people leadership, engineering management makes sense.

The best tech careers don’t follow a straight path—the key is making sure your next step is the right one for you.

Final Thoughts

A leadership title won’t make you more fulfilled—but doing work you enjoy will.

Focus on the reality of the job, not just the name of it. The same title can mean wholly different things at different companies.

And if you’re unsure what a leadership job really involves, you don’t have to wait for a promotion to try it out.

• Want to take ownership of a codebase? Volunteer as a maintainer/owner of a feature.

• Curious about working with people? Mentor a junior dev or share knowledge with teammates.

• Thinking about management? Ask to sit in on a few leadership meetings.

The best way to figure out your leadership path is to start testing it now. The title will come later.

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Thanks so much to Gábor Till for breaking down leadership paths in tech and offering valuable advice on finding the right fit. Don’t forget to follow him on LinkedIn and subscribe to his newsletter, Tech Lead Mastery.