Transitioning back to an individual contributor role

Photo by Roger Bradshaw on Unsplash

As they say- Change is the only constant in life.

This narrative holds true not only in our personal life but even in our work sphere. We constantly strive towards change. A change that helps us evolve, get closer to our goals in life, thereby making us happy and peaceful.

However, I must add that change has a different meaning and definition for each one of us. What I perceive as a good step forward may not work well with someone else. It is predominantly because of how we discern, recognize, and distinguish things as an individual. In my two decades of corporate life, handling various dimensions in work, I have realized that anything is possible and fruitful as long as your conviction and certitude cushions it.

One such was my recent transition from being the CTO of the development lab to an Individual Contributor role. Trust me when I say, this by far stands as one of the best decisions of my career.

There’s much written about growing from an Individual Contributor to a manager, director, senior leadership, etc. However, not much about the road otherwise. This is not surprising because it’s not the natural progression of things. But certainly, not a route that can’t be taken to find your niche all over again.

Here I share my journey from a senior leadership role to an Individual contributor. Hoping this gives some insights to anyone who is contemplating such a move.

What was the trigger?

My zeal to find my lost mojo at work!

Yeah, you heard it right. Senior leadership is primarily about enabling people, navigating organisational nuances, bridging between different layers of the organisation, and helping decide the strategy, among other things. This slowly takes you away from core engineering if you are not conscious about it. The combination of hands-on skills and my ability to deliver results repeatedly has always been the enabling factor in my career growth. But slowly, in the midst of all this, I was losing myself. My core skills. My love and passion for core engineering.

I have always thrived at working on new technologies and building new stuff. And as part of senior leadership responsibilities, when I started slowly drifting apart from these, my inner self kept giving me hints. To put it simply, success was there, but satisfaction was missing.

I started introspecting on these questions:

1. Can I get back to more hands-on work in my current role?
2. Should I get back to the individual contributor role and focus only on a few key aspects?
3. Will companies be willing to consider me as an individual contributor again?
4. What is it like to turn back the clock and move from senior leadership to an individual contributor role?
5. Will age be a detrimental factor?
6. What does it take to give it a try and re-learn?
7. Will it be fun?

The Transition

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I could finally make it to Red Hat, working as a senior principal in the area of ‘Container Isolation.’ It’s been more than six months as of this writing, and the experience has been enjoyable, happy, and gratifying.

Red Hat’s inclusivity and an open and supportive team culture ensured I could adapt quickly. And I did. I was again playing on a known turf, dabbling with things I loved. Not for a moment had I ever felt that I was getting lost in a new unknown alley.

It was like a homecoming!

My inner self was happy, and suddenly, I realized that time was abundant. Although the amount of time spent at work doesn’t change, the stress reduces when you do something passionately and joyfully, and productivity moves up manifolds. I could experience it within few weeks. And nothing beats the feeling of being there, where you belong!

Learnings

You are the master of your own choices!

Each role has its nuances and comes with expectations and responsibilities. But at the end of the day, it’s you who have to decide what you want. What makes you happy? What makes you wake up daily and motivates you to give your best?

Six months back, I decided to switch roles, and fortunately, Red Hat’s environment and culture made it smooth. I am humbled by the support of my team members for making me feel at home as soon as I stepped in.

Suggestions

If you are contemplating such a move, these are a few helpful inputs from my experience:

1. Give it a try — Everything else is just a distraction to confuse you.
2. Change is always good — for both mental and physical health.
3. Be honest to yourself — You need to be convinced of the “why.” This will help you to smoothen out the transition.
4. Ensure you plan your move. If you are in a leadership position, you need to put enough time to work on a proper transition plan. It’s a responsibility which you must not shy away from.
5. Age is not a factor. The tech industry is more inclusive than some isolated instances make us believe otherwise.
6. Start contributing to open source projects. It’s the best leveler.
7. Have few hobby projects or side hustles. I made it a point to keep continuing my side hustles — experimenting with technology over the weekends, open-source participation, mentoring people or startups, giving certification exams for self-evaluation, etc.
8. Have the right attitude — Attitude stumps everything else.
9. Never stop learning and skilling yourself irrespective of your role. Remember it’s your skills that matter.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are at a crossroads and need some motivation :-)