It was a couple of months ago when it started... It felt like a tickle, subtle but latent; a smoldering voice in my head, asking me to start writing–to start creating.

Suddenly, I developed an urge to share with the world my grain of knowledge, in this broad, deep, and almost infinite, field of sand called the Internet.

This urge to write, to share, to create... I don't know why it started. Maybe it was because I like reading a lot and watching other people's content. So I thought I could share some of my experiences with the world.

So here it is, my very first article.

I don't know what to write about, so I'll start writing about myself (sorry if it sounds narcissistic, I'll try to keep it short).

My name is Andres, I'm a software developer with lots of experience in Mobile Development with Flutter and I love to write code. I'm currently working at a software factory (that's how we define ourselves) company.

I lead the Mobile Development team. My work consists of... well, leading. But leading is not a simple task. You have to supervise, mentor and give feedback; write code, but read double the code–sometimes garbage code, so you gotta be patient.

Sometimes you must confront people. Other times you have to give the bad news... But to me, the most challenging part of being a leader is knowing how to approach each individual effectively. Every person has a unique personality, and an approach that might work for one, might not for others. So you have to be a good observer, and spot those differences to be able to communicate effectively with both your team as a whole and each person individually.

Furthermore, as a leader, you must learn to be sensitive. Everybody has troubles and personal problems in their life from time to time. We're not machines. We may have a bad day. And when you're a leader, your job is also to detect those events and help your teammates lift that weight, so they don't sink with them.

I have a personal story about one of my teammates, who is an extremely talented person, but also very emotional. We had a deadline to meet and a tight schedule to finish. At the last hour, we were rushing to fix some bugs that arouse when uploading the new version that could have been done a couple of days before with ease.

So, after that, I approached him and inquired about the reasons why it was left to the last minute. He gave his reasons, and I listened openly. In the end, I acknowledge his reasons but asked him to seek help the next time he felt he needed a hand to finish the job on time. I thought it was a good feedback session, never blamed him for what happened, nor felt I was being too pushy about it.

But the days passed, and I noticed his attitude changed, especially towards me. So I immediately knew something was wrong.

Knowing his emotional personality, I supposed the last conversation we had didn't go through very well for him. I had to do something about it so our relationship wouldn't be damaged, and his motivation diminished.

So, I talked with him again. But this time, I tried to be more sensitive and careful with what I said. I just wanted to know how he was feeling and what was troubling him. At last, we cleared out the misunderstanding between us, saved our relationship and recovered his motivation.

What I want you to get from this story is that every person is different, and sometimes we may cause a reaction in others that we didn't mean to. So, you have to detect those situations and solve them quickly. But be sensitive, and understanding. Some people might take his reaction as dramatic or unprofessional–but we're humans, and sometimes we make mistakes, or are not prepared to take that kind of feedback positively. So our job as leaders is also to help them learn all those things so they become great professionals and persons in life.

In conclusion, effective leadership entails more than simply giving instructions. It involves understanding individuals and fostering open communication. By cultivating a supportive and empathetic team environment, leaders can boost motivation, productivity, and overall company success. Remember, true leadership lies in recognizing the value of each team member and nurturing their potential.

All that being said, I wouldn't say I am a great leader. But I am a leader. And I'm always seeking to improve how I lead others, as it is a great responsibility that can have a big impact on people, for good or bad. So lead responsibly.

And that's it. My very first article. Although this is by no means a best-seller, and the things that I wrote are not ground-breaking, I hope it inspires and encourage others to start writing their very first articles and eventually become great writers, as I hope I'll do one day.

NB: I'm not gonna lie. This little post took me hours to write. This isn't as easy as it seemed, but it was fun. Thanks for reading it and hope you enjoyed it!