5 Whys is a blog about technical leadership in the software world.

Middle Management or puppet management?

Most team leaders I've seen in lead roles usually feel quite helpless. Someone put them in their position, and no one taught them how to do their jobs. So they are mostly developers who are just trying to keep the status-quo.

They either don't want to, or not sure how to lead the team, and what's their role in the team. 

They don't feel like leaders, and they mostly act as puppets for upper management for setting (sometimes) impossible goals and chasing them.

If you're that team leader, you should realize that your job is to lead people to do the right things, and to do the right things the way you believe is right(for everyone involved). That's your job. That's why they pay you more.

Management, done right, is a very tough job. That's why you get paid more.

But maybe no one ever told you this. I'm telling you this now. Your job is to make your own decisions, and find your own voice. and to lead.

Your job is to build value, and knowledge in the company. Your job is to grow your team to become the best bloody team they could be.

This is your manifesto.

Scared? Great. Means you're about to start learning new skills, and get out of your comfort zone.

On time, with quality - why is this mostly failing?

If you're looking for a QA to automate your tests, you've started to fail