My Job Isn’t Motivation. It’s Making Space.
Every so often, I see someone write, “I wake up every day to inspire people to do what inspires them.” Maybe that worked when companies hired faster than they shipped features. Not now.
I’m a senior engineering manager in Prague. My days run on meetings, blockers, and a team of 25 waiting for me to get out of the way. I don’t hand out pep talks. I don’t push output for the sake of looking busy. I clear space. I cut meetings. I hunt down useless process. I point out what’s not working and call it like it is.
Right now we’re shifting—moving away from output, toward real outcomes. Fewer Jira tickets, more ownership. It’s not easy work. Most engineers want to code, not hear about “product mindset.” My job is to protect their time so they have a shot at becoming product engineers. I shut down distractions. I press for one goal: show value to users, faster.
I used to think being a leader meant managing more people. It doesn’t. It means driving up the team’s impact with the same heads. That’s where efficiency lives. And it means telling the truth, always, even if it’s blunt.
If you think your job is inspiration, try removing just one obstacle for your team. Watch what happens. You don’t need to inspire anyone who actually has the space to do great work.
You need to protect that space. That’s leadership.