EMs are Sergeant Majors, not Generals—in the trenches translating strategy to delivery while being the bumper rails that let engineers focus on bowling strikes without fear of gutter balls.
The EM role varies wildly by organization, but here's what stays constant: you're the Sergeant Major, not the General. You're in the trenches managing experts on specific tasks while the CTO gets the higher-level view but slower information flow. You're the interface between strategy and delivery, translating leadership directives into actionable tasks while representing your team's interests back up the chain.
Your job is to be the bumper rails at a bowling alley. Some engineers bowl strikes all day, others lose sight of the goal and end up with gutter balls. You let everyone focus on the pins without the distraction of making the odd bad bowl. The real skill is identifying which team members work best with minimal interaction and which need more structure, then providing that exact level of service.
The team needs to feel unconditionally supported. You're their safety layer. You provide guidance when there's uncertainty and protection when there's a threat—and yes, changing scopes and shifting deadlines are genuine threats to morale and productivity. You're the provider of context when things change and the voice of reason when there's debate. You're constantly identifying high performers who need nurturing and lower performers who need assistance, feeding that into recruitment and capacity planning.
Most importantly: create emotional safety where the team can act bravely, make decisions, and try new things without fear of failure. Excellence only comes from moving out of comfort zones. The EM's primary responsibility is to the individual, understanding team dynamics, how they evolve with new hires and pressure, and being positioned to surface pain points to leadership.
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