In IT, we often celebrate the “big leaders” — CEOs, CTOs, and those whose titles command attention.
But real leadership? It’s just as often found in the small, quiet acts of humanity — from the senior developer who takes the time to mentor a junior, to the architect who listens deeply to a frustrated end user, to the project manager who creates a safe space for “stupid” questions that aren’t stupid at all.
These are the humble giants of IT. They don’t need a throne. They inspire by lifting others up and creating environments where collaboration and innovation thrive.
Empathy: The Underestimated Superpower
Technology solves problems, but it doesn’t feel.
It’s people — the ones behind the code and the systems — who listen to the stories, the struggles, and the bottlenecks of hardworking people trying to do their jobs.
Empathy is what allows us to see beyond requirements and specs. It’s what helps us design tools that not only work, but make lives easier and more meaningful.
Because when we free people from tedious, repetitive tasks, we give them back something priceless:
the ability to spend their time on work that matters.
Mentorship and Safe Spaces
One of the most powerful ways to lead — without authority — is to mentor.
To take the time to guide others, to answer questions with patience, and to say:
“There are no stupid questions. Let’s figure it out together.”
These safe spaces create cultures where people aren’t afraid to innovate. Where they can bring half-formed ideas, knowing they’ll be refined, not ridiculed. Where failure isn’t punished but treated as a step towards progress.
Innovation Through Collaboration
The best innovations I’ve been part of didn’t come from one brilliant mind.
They came from teams of people listening to each other, sharing problems, and combining perspectives.
The database admin who spotted a performance bottleneck. The business analyst who heard a pain point in a stakeholder meeting. The developer who had a spark of an idea at 11 p.m. after a long day.
Innovation happens when we see each other — not just our roles, but our humanity.
AI and the Human Difference
AI is disrupting IT, no doubt. But I don’t believe it will ever replace the essence of what we do.
AI can generate code, automate tasks, and analyze data faster than any of us. But AI can’t:
- Listen with empathy to a tired warehouse manager who just wants to stop wrestling with spreadsheets.
- Mentor a junior developer, guiding them not just on syntax but on confidence and mindset.
- Care in the way that humans do about making life better for someone else.
Our humanity — our ability to care, to inspire, and to collaborate — will always be our edge.
More Than Financial Satisfaction
IT isn’t just about solutions, systems, or software.
At its best, IT is about people helping people.
When we use our skills to remove frustrations and empower others, the reward goes beyond financial success. There’s a deep satisfaction in knowing we’ve made someone’s life easier, their job more enjoyable, their day just a little less stressful.
And that kind of impact?
It’s worth more than any paycheck.
Final Thoughts: Be a Humble Giant
You don’t need a title to lead.
You don’t need a throne to make a difference.
In every meeting, every line of code, every interaction with a colleague or client, you have the chance to be a tiny leader, a humble giant — someone who leads through empathy, curiosity, and the courage to care.
Because in the end, the most powerful systems we’ll ever build aren’t made of code or servers.
They’re the connections we create and the people we empower.