For many of us, imposter syndrome can be a regular struggle in our professional life. For me, that was particularly the case when I moved into my recent role of Technical Team Lead.

I've never been one to consider myself a "senior" developer. So coming into a role where I would be presenting as a Lead of anything gave me a bit of the fear (still does).

What if I stepped into this role and someone asked me a technical question I ought to know the answer to? What if I couldn't answer confidently?

I'd be outed.

The company would realize they hired the wrong guy. The team wouldn't recognize me as a leader. "The lead that couldn't lead".

However, what I've come to realise is being a Lead isn't about knowing all the answers. And nor should it be. It's an unrealistic expectation that a) you shouldn't put on yourself, and b) your team more than likely doesn't have of you.

By confronting the fact, and making your team see, that you're not some sort of omniscient, you open the door for open and honest discussions within your team; increasing collaboration, the discussion of ideas, and hopefully the expansion of knowledge for all involved.

Being a lead isn't about knowing everything. It's about providing guidance to others in the search for the right answer. It's about knowing when to say you're unsure, knowing when to say you're wrong. It's a collaborative effort, with the end goal being to build a confident, highly collaborative & transparent team.

The job title isn't too bad either.