Think leadership is something you earn with a promotion? I used to think that too.
Last month, I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on leadership with Tokyo Design. The session was filled with ICs and managers asking the same kinds of questions I have heard throughout my career:
How do I build more influence?
Shouldn’t my work speak for itself?
How do I get a seat at the table?
Why doesn’t my impact always show up in reviews?
What I shared with them, and what I want to share here, is that leadership is not just for people with titles. It’s a set of habits that anyone can practice.
I had a turning point early in my career as a manager. I focused on supporting my team and executing well. I thought that was enough. But I wasn’t seeing the growth I wanted. I wasn’t getting pulled into the conversations that mattered.
Something was missing.
It wasn’t until I started practicing these three habits that things shifted. I began asking better questions in my 1:1s with leadership. I closed every meeting with clarity on next steps. I volunteered ways forward when we hit uncertainty. Slowly, I built the context I needed to make better decisions. I earned the trust that gave me more autonomy. And I moved from supporting the team to driving decisions as a senior manager.
These habits didn’t just change my trajectory. They changed how I showed up. And I’ve seen the same shift in managers and ICs I’ve worked with. The difference between someone doing just enough and someone showing traits of a high performer often comes down to practicing these small, repeatable habits.
Habit 1: Help your manager show up well
As an IC, one of the most impactful ways to lead is by helping your manager represent the team effectively in rooms you may not be in.
Your manager carries the voice of the team into leadership discussions. How clearly they can advocate for your work often depends on how much context you give them about what’s happening and what matters most.
1:1s are a great opportunity to not just to share updates, but to understand what’s top of mind for your manager so you can tailor your work and communication around it. The next time a big meeting or milestone comes up try asking questions like:
“What’s most important for you going into this conversation?”
“How can I help make our work easier to represent?”
“What parts of this are getting the most attention from leadership?”
“Was there anything that landed well last time? Why?”
Every question you ask gives you more context and helps your manager show up with clarity and confidence.
Why it works:
Builds awareness of what your manager values and how they think.
Positions you as a thoughtful partner, not just an executor.
Ensures your team’s work aligns with broader priorities and is represented consistently.
For ICs, this is about understanding the bigger picture and amplifying your team’s impact. For managers, it’s about creating psychological safety so team members feel empowered to take ownership and understand how thier work might contribute to the bigger picture.
A strong partnership here makes both of you look good and builds trust that lasts beyond individual projects.
I found this to be a key unlock of situational awareness for me to understand some of the in’s and out’s of roles that I aspired to have.
Habit 2: Close with clarity
Too often, meetings end with a vague “sounds good.” Then, a week later, there is confusion, rework, or the dreaded “I thought you meant…”
A simple fix: end every meeting by repeating next steps and owners. This is also known as active listening.
If things are not clear, extend the meeting or schedule a follow-up.
Clarity is one of the most underrated ways to build trust and increase velocity of decision-making.
Why it works:
Reinforces accountability.
Strengthens memory and team alignment.
Reduces rework and friction down the road.
For ICs, it builds your reputation as dependable. For managers, it ensures alignment sticks.
Habit 3: Have a bias for action
When ambiguity stalls progress, leaders do not wait. They offer a way forward.
Try this:
“Here is how I would approach this, and why. What could I do on my part to help move this forward?”
Setting this can also drive ownership and accountability of others in the room.
Progress beats polish. Momentum matters more than perfection.
Sometimes getting the point across means you don’t need a polished pixel-perfect design, maybe something you’ve scribbled on a marker board, or vibe coded can do the trick.
Why it works:
Keeps momentum alive, even in uncertainty.
Demonstrates ownership and a leadership mindset.
Builds trust by showing initiative instead of waiting.
For ICs, this proves you can lead without authority. For managers, it sets the tone for how the team moves.
Leadership is everywhere
We often think about organizations in terms of hierarchy. But leadership is not a box on an org chart.
It’s is multidirectional: up, down, and across. The impact of influence can show up at every level: your team, your organization, your product, your customers, and your career.
Put some thought into where you want to see yourself and where you want to drive impact.
What’s your next move?
Here’s what I want you to try this week:
Pick one habit. Just one.
Maybe it’s asking your manager a better question in your next 1:1. Maybe it’s closing your next meeting by repeating the next steps out loud. Maybe it’s volunteering a way forward when the team hits a wall.
Start small. See what shifts.
Leadership isn’t something you wait for permission to practice. It’s not granted when you get the title or the promotion. It’s built in the everyday moments when you choose to help your team move forward with clarity, confidence, and momentum.
The question isn’t whether you have the authority to lead.
The question is: what leadership habit will you practice today?
Technically Speaking is where I share reflections, insights, and conversations to help you lead with confidence, clarity, and community.