A Case For Being a Humble Engineer
Have you heard the myth of the 10x engineer?
The 10x engineer myth claims that engineers are “10x more effective than others.” These unicorn-status engineers are often typecast “brilliant jerks” who ignore meetings to rewrite entire systems in a few days or leave their teams out to dry.
The myth has become somewhat of a joke these days, but there remains some residue about this idea that to get ahead, you have to put yourself first. You are supposed to avoid humility and opt for a winner-takes-all approach.
And yet, many fantastic engineering leaders are humble. I think of people Scott Hanselman, Kelsey Hightower, or Kent C Dodds. People who have shaped our industry significantly through their accomplishments but are quick to take a humble stance, give credit to others, and adopt a posture of learning.
Why is there a disconnect here?
The reason is that we misunderstand (or potentially misapply) humility in our industry.
Being humble is not about a lack of advocacy for yourself or passing up credit for your accomplishments. Being humble doesn’t mean you’re a doormat, either.
Instead, humility is a posture. It’s about how you achieve your work, interact with your peers, and how you communicate your accomplishments.
