The best leaders are great individual contributors, not professional managers

Drawing from Steve Jobs' insights and Hacker News discussion, this article argues that the most effective leaders emerge from deep technical expertise, not professional management tracks. The key revelation is that great managers are often individual contributors who reluctantly step into leadership roles out of a genuine desire to solve problems and improve team productivity, bringing intimate technical understanding and a commitment to excellence. By prioritizing technical competence and a problem-solving mindset over bureaucratic management skills, leaders can create more innovative, aligned, and high-performing teams.