Nodes flashing red across the monitoring screens. Confusion in the air. Something was wrong, but nobody knew what — nobody had observed this at that scale. Nodes randomly going down and back up across the whole city.
In the middle of this, the CEO walked into the room and asked the senior support guy what was happening. Had anyone called the on-call engineers?
I answered from the other side of the room, eyes fixed on my monitor: “No need. I’m onto it. Give me a few minutes.”
With a deep tone of curiosity, he said “Okaaaay…”
Looking back, I’m not sure if that was confidence or audacity — but it worked.
Then the room went silent. Or maybe I was so focused I just blocked everything around me.
A few minutes later, I gave him the update: network is stable and should reflect on the monitoring soon. I’d isolated the source of the problem and dispatched my team — that required physical intervention. Crisis contained.
Days later, I was promoted to the NOC and given the higher privileges I’d been working without.
But how did I pull that off without the access I needed?
Why It Worked
I didn’t have access to the larger nodes in the network to make my life easier — I wasn’t supposed to be the one handling something at this scale. So I worked with what I had.
I knew the network bottom-up. I’d been there, in the field. I was involved in every step along the way, so I had all the knowledge of what was underneath and what I could use.
I learned why the cable works the way it does, why the switch behaves the way it does, how to configure the equipment needed — giving me an understanding of how signals moved through every layer.
Every layer became a new opportunity to learn more. And that night was the time to take that knowledge to the extreme — figure things out outside the box. Because like I said, I had no access to the “easier” tools.
That night was proof of something I’d been building for years without realizing it.
The Ladder’s Hidden Value
Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t just about titles or compensation. It’s about understanding the organization at every level, and answering the almighty “What if?” with a slight variation: “How does it work?”
My journey from cable technician to Senior Network Engineer, from rookie coder to Principal Software Engineer — Generalist, taught me something invaluable: the struggles, challenges, and perspectives at each level of an organization.
As a cable technician, I learned what it feels like when the dispatcher sends you to the wrong site — again. As a field engineer, I understood the frustration of waiting for equipment that someone at HQ forgot to prepare. As a team lead, I saw how decisions made in a meeting room ripple down to people in the field who have to live with the consequences.
Each level gave me a perspective I carried forward.
When you’ve walked in those shoes, you build authentic rapport. People trust you because you understand their challenges firsthand — not from a report, but from experience. When you eventually reach leadership positions, this trust becomes your most powerful asset.
Something remarkable happened after I moved into senior roles: colleagues from every level kept bringing their challenges to me. Not because I had the title — but because we had history together. They weren’t afraid of repercussions. They had hope I could advocate for change.
This wasn’t because I was exceptionally brilliant or charismatic. It was because I had demonstrated — through shared experiences — that I understood their perspectives and valued their contributions. They felt seen.
But trust alone isn’t enough. What you do with it matters even more.
The Power of Mutual Respect
What I valued most about leading teams was the mutual respect we developed. I often advocated for them or found flexibility within policies when it would help them succeed. In return, they consistently gave more than their best when we faced challenges.
I remember calling the team just before their shift ended, telling them: “I know this sucks, but I need you. If we don’t act now, we’ll have a mess to clean up tomorrow.” It was late, we all couldn’t wait to get home, but I knew if we didn’t intervene now, the issue would escalate overnight — leaving just enough customers offline to feel uncomfortable, but not enough to trigger a night dispatch.
Their response: “We stay as long as you need us to stay. No problem.”
They had my back because I had theirs. That’s the kind of dedication that can’t be mandated — it can only be earned through consistent demonstration of trust and respect.
None of this would have been possible if someone hadn’t taken a chance on me first.
Growth Through Discomfort
The most significant growth in my career has come when someone gave me a chance despite being “underqualified” on paper. In every instance, I approached the opportunity with humility about what I didn’t know, eagerness to learn quickly, determination to exceed expectations, and respect for the expertise of those around me.
That said, I challenged the status quo at every step of the way. Not because I knew better — but precisely because I didn’t know. I pushed the limits of understanding the problem at hand, asking questions that others had stopped asking long ago.
And when I asked, I never stopped — like a 4-year-old asking “what is this?” and “why?” over and over again. At that point, I’d reached the limit of theoretical learning and had to understand how it all fit in practice, in the real world, in that specific network. The best ones to answer were the ones who built it.
I know I tested their patience sometimes with so many questions. But they answered anyway — I think they saw I genuinely wanted to learn.
Now it’s my turn to do the same for others.
Paying It Forward
As I’ve grown, I’ve embraced the responsibility to mentor others with the same opportunities I received. My approach focuses less on specific technical skills and more on logical thinking and personal development.
I believe the greatest gift you can give someone is not the answer, but the confidence and capability to discover solutions on their own. By encouraging team members to try new approaches and supporting them even when they make mistakes, I’ve watched colleagues grow beyond what they thought possible.
A moment that truly humbled me was when a friend I had hired for design work told me years later: “You changed my career and changed my life. You were the only one that trusted me and saw something that even I didn’t see in myself.”
The exact wording has faded with time, but the essence remains vivid — I still get emotional when I recall that moment. It reminded me of the profound impact we can have when we believe in others and give them the confidence boost they need.
Looking back, a few things have become clear.
What I’ve Learned
I often reflect on what made leadership feel natural when I finally stepped into those roles. It wasn’t a course or a title — it was the foundation of trust I’d built along the way. The understanding of daily challenges that only comes from living them.
Every leader is only as strong as the team behind them. Leaders make decisions based on insights from their team, which requires mutual trust and respect. The team needs to know that they share common goals and that their leader genuinely understands both the technical and human aspects of their work — and creates an environment where people feel empowered to do their best.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have such leaders in my path — mentors who believed in me, gave me chances that I always seized, and created environments that were a pleasure to work in. I’m thankful to each of them for seeing potential where others might have only seen inexperience.
The climb isn’t just about reaching the top — it’s about gathering the wisdom, perspective, and relationships that make you effective once you arrive.
