"For the first few years of my career, I was part of different teams and I directly reported to a team leader or manager. I loved being part of a team because it really helped me learn the value of working with others toward one goal. During that time, I also realized that I had great leadership potential. For example, my team leader assigned me to coach some of my newer teammates, and I enjoyed doing it. I didn't necessarily aspire to become a team leader, and I was really attracted to individual contributor roles. I love the idea of being able to work on projects that fit my strengths. Also, being able to define my own career path really appeals to me.

There's still a lot of herding cats when it comes to project management, for example. So, although people don't really report to me, I still need to influence others to work toward a goal. Because of that, I've come to appreciate everything that my former team leaders did for their subordinates."