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- Why Good Engineers Struggle as Project Leaders
Good engineers are promoted because they deliver.
They solve problems.
They bring certainty to complex situations.
Then they’re asked to lead a project.
And suddenly, what made them successful starts working against them.
Not because they’re doing anything wrong—but because the role has changed.
Table of Contents
Engineering and Project Leadership Optimise for Different Things
Engineering rewards:
Accuracy
Control
Technical correctness
If something isn’t right, you analyse it.
If something breaks, you fix it yourself.
Project leadership rewards something else entirely:
Timely decisions
Clear ownership
Value delivered through others
Projects don’t move forward because one person has the best answer.
They move forward because uncertainty is managed and momentum is protected.
Where the Struggle Shows Up
Strong engineers stepping into project leadership often:
Stay too close to technical detail
Delay decisions to reduce rework
Carry risk personally to “protect” the outcome
These behaviours feel responsible.
In practice, they slow down delivery.
The shift isn’t about doing less.
It’s about changing where your impact sits.
The Project Leadership Operating Mode
Use the self-check below to see how you’re currently operating.
Score each question:
0 = Engineer-led
1 = Mixed
2 = Project-led
Question | 0 – Engineer-Led | 1 – Mixed | 2 – Project-Led |
|---|---|---|---|
How are problems handled? | I personally solve them | I solve critical ones | Ownership is assigned and followed up on |
How are decisions made? | Decisions wait for clarity | Some decisions move, others stall | Decisions are made early to maintain flow |
How is success measured? | Technical correctness | Quality plus delivery | Value and outcomes achieved |
How is risk managed? | I carry most of it | Shared informally | Explicit owners and actions are in place |
Total score: ____ / 8
What Your Score Means — and What to Do Next
0–3 → Engineer-Led Mode
You’re optimising for correctness.
Do this next: Assign ownership for one decision or risk instead of solving it yourself.4–5 → Transitional Mode
You switch styles depending on pressure.
Do this next: Set clear decision deadlines instead of scheduling more discussion.6–8 → Project-Led Mode
You’re optimising for flow and outcomes.
Double down: Protect decision speed and keep ownership visible.
This isn’t about becoming less technical.
It’s about using your technical judgement to enable progress, not replace it.
Strong engineers don’t struggle as project leaders because they lack capability.
They struggle because no one tells them what to stop optimising for.
When the focus shifts from having the right answer to keeping the project moving, leadership starts to feel lighter—and results follow.
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