Systems, Leadership, and the Power of 'We'

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

My career has been defined by “hard things”—from building a NoSQL service platform at Yahoo to writing Modern System Administration. Over two decades in the trenches of systems engineering, I’ve learned a vital truth: the secret to tackling complexity isn’t just technical expertise; it’s the strength of the community around you.

I recently visited Nirvana Soul in San Francisco and was struck by the reminder on their wall: “We Can Do Hard Things.”

Doing Hard Things in 2026

• Fostering Community – Encourage a culture of experimentation where it is safe to fail, learn, and iterate.
• Prioritizing Reliability – Move beyond “firefighting” mode to build systems that allow for deep work and innovation.
• Leading with Empathy – Ensure the people building the systems are as well‑cared for as the systems themselves.

Systems are hard. Leadership is hard. Community building is hard. But the “We” is what makes it possible.

Reflection

What is one “hard thing” you tackled in the last year that you’re proud of? I’d love to hear about the people or communities that helped you get across the finish line. Let’s start the year celebrating our wins in the comments!