5 things not to do when becoming a team lead

Becoming a team lead is not only a title change. It changes what counts as work.

Many new leads keep doing the tasks that made them successful before: answering messages, solving tickets, writing documentation, handling urgent work. Those tasks still feel productive because the result is visible.

Leading people is different. The result often appears weeks or months later. That makes it easy to underestimate the job.

1. Do not ignore the new responsibility

If your role is to lead a team, taking care of the team is the work.

That means talking to people, removing blockers, giving feedback, creating clarity, noticing motivation, and helping people grow. It may not look as busy as the old job, but it is the job now.

If you keep trying to be the best individual contributor and the team lead at the same time, burnout is a predictable outcome.

2. Do not try to manage without relationships

Trust is not a soft bonus. It is operational.

When people trust you, they tell you about problems earlier. They ask better questions. They are more honest about capacity, risk, conflict, and mistakes.

When you become a lead, schedule 1:1s with every team member. Ask:

• “How do you like to work?”
• “What should I know about this team?”
• “What do you expect from me?”
• “What would make your work easier?”
• “What should not change?”

These conversations are not a ceremony. They are how you learn the system you are now responsible for.

3. Do not avoid decisions

Leadership includes decisions that affect other people. That can feel heavy, especially when you are new.

Avoiding decisions usually creates more confusion than making an imperfect one. Be clear about what you know, what you do not know, and why you are choosing a direction.

If the decision is wrong, say so and adjust. Teams do not need a manager who is never wrong. They need a manager who can learn in public without blaming everyone else.

4. Do not assume people know how you work

Your team cannot read your mind. Explain your expectations, decision style, communication habits, and priorities.

Also ask the same from them. A new lead should learn how each person prefers to receive feedback, how they surface blockers, and what kind of support they value.

This is exactly the sort of context that belongs in recurring 1:1 notes, not in memory. OTO keeps that context connected to each person over time.

5. Do not save praise only for big wins

Recognition should not be random, exaggerated, or constant. But it should notice meaningful effort along the way.

If people only hear praise when a major goal is reached, they may miss the signals that tell them which behaviours are working.

Be specific:

• “The way you handled that customer conversation was clear and calm.”
• “You raised the risk early, and that helped us avoid a surprise.”
• “Your documentation made onboarding easier for the next person.”

Specific praise teaches. Generic praise fades.

The new job is clarity

New team leads often think their job is to have all the answers. It is not. The job is to create enough clarity, trust, and follow-through that the team can do its best work.

That starts with better conversations.

This article was adapted from an earlier Medium post by Grethel Vändrik: read the original.