There’s a common assumption that once you reach a leadership position — Head of Technology, CTO, or Digital Transformation Lead — you stop coding. You manage teams, set strategy, attend meetings, and review architecture diagrams from a distance.
I chose a different path.
Even as Head of Technology & Development at Crompton Partners in Abu Dhabi, I still actively write production code. Not because I have to, but because I believe it makes me a better leader.
Staying Grounded in Reality
When you step away from the keyboard for too long, you start losing touch with the actual friction developers face every day — deployment issues, performance bottlenecks, integration problems, and the real effort required to ship clean, maintainable code.
By continuing to code on both internal tools and client projects, I stay connected to the practical side of technology. This helps me make better decisions when evaluating architectures, choosing tech stacks, or estimating timelines.
Better Technical Judgment
Leadership isn’t just about vision — it’s about making informed trade-offs. When I review proposals or architecture decisions, my hands-on experience with Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, Payload CMS, and AWS allows me to ask sharper questions and spot potential issues early.
I’ve seen too many technology leaders approve solutions that look good on paper but create massive headaches six months later. Staying technical helps prevent that.
Leading by Example
There’s something powerful about a leader who can roll up their sleeves and contribute directly. It builds credibility with the development team and creates a culture where shipping quality work is valued at every level.
My team knows I understand the challenges they face because I face some of them too.
Finding the Right Balance
Of course, I’m not writing code full-time. My primary role is still strategy, team leadership, stakeholder management, and driving digital transformation initiatives. But I deliberately carve out time each week to stay technical.
This balance — strategic leadership paired with hands-on execution — has become one of my biggest advantages, both as a technology leader and when working with clients across the UAE and beyond.
If you’re a technology leader reading this, I encourage you to stay close to the code. The industry moves too fast to afford losing that connection.
What about you? Do you think technology leaders should continue coding, or is it better to fully step back into pure strategy?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.