How can I position myself as a lead as my team grows?

One of the things I liked about Meta is that levels are private. At Google, by default, levels are public, so people may unfortunately have preconceived notions on whether you’re fit to be a lead or not, but it’s still possible.

The way to become a lead is to become the owner of the knowledge relevant for your team, and ensure that people around you are aware of that. Some practical tips:

• Share the context you have, how different projects relate to one another, and their relative priority.
• Schedule regular 1:1 meetings with new people – this is a great example of shifting from reactive to proactive.
• Do people come to you for guidance when they’re stuck, or when they’re looking for another task or project to work on?
• Have a discussion with your manager about the opportunity for you as the team grows, and what is the best way to position yourself as a lead over the coming year.