Leading

level 8

• doesn’t lead, even herself
• Insights are very limited, if existent

level 9

• good follower (implements the lead’s ideas in practical ways)
• insights are limited to copying what they’ve read or seen, not necessarily from authoritative sources

level 10

• documenting processes and procedures for the rest of the staff
• starts making decisions that may affect others (but may not)
• volunteers to do things outside her job description because she realizes that sometimes the company benefits from the help
• insights are limited to “obvious” things such as a lack of automated tests or documentation, but maybe not “tests as documentation…”

level 11

• are able to identify which developers are able to execute given tasks effectively
• seeks input prior to making a decision from those affected by the decision so that they feel that they are a part of the final decision
• Others come to you seeking advice on how to do things
• Insights begin to be more creative, the developer begins to see more creative ways to move the project forward. For example, instead of documenting a process flow in text, the developer may create a process flow diagram or a class sequence diagram to help others see and understand sometimes complex relationships between different parts of the system.

level 12

• breaks things down into small steps that those less experienced can follow with ease
• is able to clarify expectations to find common ground with clients and colleagues without ruffling feathers
• sets examples (reproducible patterns) of how to work (does exemplary work)
• able to lead / motivate in challenging circumstances!
• Insights are similar to level 11 but perhaps with a bit more frequency and possibly more depth.

level 13

Someone who can confidently lead a team on a large project (6 months+), they will not necessarily have the organisational skills to organise the team but they will be able to make high level decisions, decide the technical direction of the solution and mentor junior developers. Importantly they will maintain a high level of code quality through code reviews, training and leading by example, and automated tests. Anyone working with this person will be confident that this person will be ensuring that the team is producing the best code they can given their circumstances.

• sets reasonable and effective standards for how something should be done (PR templates as an example)
• Based on team feedback, adjusts development approach or even methodology so that efficiencies are increased
• Insights begin to take on the characteristic of brilliance, seeing beyond the obvious and taking into account the definition of success for the project.

level 14

• paves the way for the next leaders
• provides leadership opportunities for others
• takes risks making decisions
• fails and gets up and keeps going
• succeeds and shares the success with the rest of the team

• leads by actions and not just by words

• track record of building successful teams
• formalizing (summarizing) progress in reports for management
• together with the team members, set concrete self-development goals (for the team members) so that leadership is consistent and verifiable (regular one-to-one meetings where the team member can express their concerns, desires, and joys)
• Insights are genuinely brilliant because they fully support the definition of success for the project, find a balance between costs and benefits for everyone involved, and are the kinds of ideas that just make sense.