Leading by Example

I'm nothing special. I've known this for a long time. I'm not a naturally talented programmer, if there even is such a thing. Nor am I a top programmer. This is not self-deprecation. I am not ashamed of this fact. I don't think I should be.

Where I am today as a developer is remarkably reminiscent of my days running high school cross country. I was not a natural talent at running either. I worked hard. I became a varsity runner. This put me in the top 10% of the team. I never placed first for my team in a varsity race. Not once. But I frequently placed third or fourth for the team, putting me in a scoring position. I was regionally ranked in the top 100 and we were the best region in the state, putting me somewhere in the top 250 in the state. Nationally, however, I was nowhere near the top 1000. I never ran in a state meet. I never made the local paper except when the whole team made the paper.

I was, as you might imagine, opinionated and vocal. I read about running. I put what I read into practice. I read about diet and I applied what I learned. I was by no means the fastest on the team, but I was confident that I was doing the right things to maximize my personal abilities and I wanted to share that with anyone who wanted to listen. Truth be told, I shared it with many who really didn't want to listen.

My enthusiasm paid off. My senior year, I was named co-captain of the team. I was an official leader of the team. It was a role I took very seriously.

There was another kid on the team. He was quiet. He didn't speak up much. He was supportive, helpful, kind, and fast; faster than me. Like me, he never placed first for the team, he never made it to state, and he never made the local paper as an individual. He, however, did not make team captain.

All things considered, he should have made captain. He should have been labeled the leader. He worked hard; he was supportive, kind, and helpful. He possessed all the characteristics of a leader. And he was fast; faster than me.

But he was not outspoken. He did not tell others about his latest readings or his new diet ideas. He did not try to get others to listen to him and validate his thoughts. Instead, he just did his thing. He just ran. And through his behavior he set an example for everyone else. Through his actions, not his words, he modeled what it was to be a good runner.

He didn't make team captain. Maybe because he didn't need it. Or maybe because I needed it more and tradition limited the number of captains. But he was a leader. He was absolutely a leader on that team.

I meet people like this every now and again. Someone who is so humble and unassuming, you are likely to overlook them. You are likely not to notice what it is they have to offer.

As runners, there was no doubt. You could see who was fastest. It was quite clear. But as developers, you can't always see the beauty, the grace, or the power. As developers, our ability is not so readily apparent.

I paired with such a developer today. His name is Matt Yoho. I've met him before. I've talked with him before. But today, I came to see the beauty, the grace, and the power that he brings. What I like most about this guy is that he leads by example.

Matt performs and it speaks for itself to anyone who cares to listen.