You can never have enough useful tips on becoming a better lead developer.
From Roy Osherove, there are some great ones in this list.
To this list I would add the following:
- Be open to ideas and approaches from your team members, regardless of their seniority. Don't dismiss a great idea because it came from an intern or fresh graduate just getting their feet wet. Even if an approach is fundamentally flawed, don't kill a person's spirit by making them feel stupid for even suggesting it.
- Don't overly criticize a teammate's work in earshot of other teammates. This is especially important when doing regular test and code reviews.
- Show your team honest appreciation when they do a good job. A little praise goes a long way in keeping a person motivated and productive.
- Make an effort to understand each team member's career goals and keep them in mind when assigning out the work. If someone aspires to be a SQL demigod, try not to force them to write a lot of HTML/CSS/Javascript.
