I will Follow Your Lead: A Lesson from My Software Development Bootcamp

During my software development bootcamp, I experienced a truly humbling and inspiring moment that has stayed with me. This defining event happened during our first group project, designed to assess our skills midway through the program before moving on to more complex assignments.

To give you some background, software development bootcamps typically incorporate multiple individual assessments to evaluate each participant's grasp of the content. Additionally, one or two group projects are included to assess not only coding abilities but also teamwork dynamics within a software development team.

In this particular project, our team was assigned to build a console-based library application. We were grouped with individuals of varying skill levels, and our team mostly consisted of average coders compared to other groups in the class. We encountered challenges when implementing certain functionalities within various classes, leading to frustration among team members. Some of us had a solid understanding of the application, while others struggled.

Confident in my understanding of the project, I suggested we walk through the entire application line by line, ensuring everyone had a clear understanding of the code and our objectives. As we reached the end of the code, I observed the "aha" moments of those who had been struggling. To reinforce our comprehension, I proposed we use pair programming for the rest of the application, working in groups of two, dividing responsibilities, and discussing the code as we advanced.

This approach turned out to be a valuable experience for everyone in our group. We successfully completed the application, and all team members gained a clear understanding of the concepts covered up to that point. After receiving our scores at the end of the week, one of my teammates approached me and said, "Hemory, I would work for you, wherever you go."

This compliment held a special meaning for me because we were all on equal footing in the bootcamp, without any formal leaders or hierarchy. Yet, my teammate placed me in high regard, expressing a willingness to follow my leadership. This interaction inspired me to aspire to be a leader, and when I think about the qualities I value in a leader, I reflect on that moment, how it felt, the actions I took, and how those actions inspired someone to want me as their leader.

While I recognize that I am far from a perfect leader, I believe there is something powerful in having someone willingly choose to follow your lead, regardless of your title. I encourage you to reflect on your leadership style and ask yourself: Are you leading in a way that others naturally want to follow?