We started reading Dare to Lead which starts with a great quote from Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

It really pays off to be the person that has been in the trenches, that gets their hands dirty.

It makes you an effective leader, it earns you trust and makes you well-rounded (as per our motto: we create well-rounded developers).

As usual we share some stories of our own:

- Julian had a manager with exceptional technical skills and not shying away from getting his hands dirty, he really formed an inspiration of how to lead by example.

- Bob's story revolves around his pivot from software developer into coach (of our clients) and how getting knee deep into the code with them is so valuable for their further progression as developers, their working relation, but also for Bob's own growth.

So think about how you can lead by example, get into the arena and be willing to fail because remember: without failure there is no growth!

For career advice and in order to take your Python and developer skills to the next level, book us in for a call, we love to help you!

Books mentioned:
- Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
- Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
- Principles: Life and Work