Be a role model.

Everyone wants work-life balance; however, when you take on more responsibility, you begin to make sacrifices. Being a role model means many things, including (but not limited to): 1. Being the first one to arrive at the office. 2. Working overtime. Despite it not being "politically correct," overworking can become normal, sometimes even on weekends. 3. Advocating for what you are doing—not for personal influence, but for the success of the team. 4. Taking on tasks that seem easy but "unappealing." Challenging or fancy tasks might seem exciting, but it’s often the easy and unappealing tasks that form the foundation of a project’s success. If no one is willing to take them on, do it yourself, and others will follow.

Believe in what you are doing.

When attending conferences, it’s easy to spot PhD candidates who truly believe in their work—you can see it in their eyes and body language. Those who are passionate have a spark in their eyes or show a focused calmness. This makes me feel they’ll definitely have a successful research career. As a leader, you need to deeply believe in what you’re doing and convey that passion to your team; this enthusiasm will naturally inspire those around you.

Create useful meetings.

Meetings are essential for team collaboration, but they must result in actionable points. Meetings without action items waste the time of multiple employees. Let’s be honest: don’t hold meetings just to appear busy; instead, create them to solve problems.

Be soft to others; be critical of yourself.

Being critical is related to the first point, but being soft with others means a lot to your teammates. It creates flexibility, trust, respect, and builds equal relationships among everyone. In this context, a soft approach can be more powerful than a commanding management style.

Maintain laser focus while keeping an open mind.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, and quick wins rarely last. Keep the team laser-focused on a single goal: creating something better each day. Over time, this steady progress will help you surpass competitors and become the best. However, laser focus doesn’t mean closing your eyes to what’s happening outside—especially in tech, staying aware of new developments is crucial.

Find a way to relieve your pressure.

Running, swimming, cycling, or simply walking through the forest can be great ways to unwind. At one point, I was under immense pressure while training machine learning models, sometimes unable to sleep and finding myself checking weights and biases at 2 a.m. GPU rentals are expensive, and the success of the project—and the team’s future—felt like they depended on it. Fortunately, I rediscovered cycling, a hobby I enjoyed as an undergraduate. When I ride into the forest, I feel calmer and more relaxed, sleep better, and gain more confidence.

Empower others, but stay attentive.

Becoming an engineering manager doesn’t mean you’re the most technically skilled person on the team; the role isn’t solely technical. However, being a leader also doesn’t mean you should "never program" and use "I trust my team" as an excuse to avoid daily tasks. Instead, it’s important to find a balance: empower the team to deliver while working alongside them. Daily standups and sprint planning won’t fully familiarize you with each person’s work; staying engaged through programming and code reviews helps you stay aligned with the team’s progress.