About six months ago, I was deep into my usual DevOps routine—automation, workflow optimization, FinOps, and more—when an unexpected shift changed everything. My boss called me in and dropped a surprise: our IT Manager was moving on, and I was now responsible for managing our pan-India Field Engineering team in addition to my current duties.
Challenge accepted. But let’s be honest—it felt like stepping into someone else’s shoes without untying the laces.
While the team already knew me as a mentor they turned to when stuck, they’d never seen me in a formal leadership role. I didn’t want to be just another boss dishing out instructions. I aimed to lead with a Democratic, Visionary, and Pacesetting approach.
Starting with Empathy
The first step? Transparency. I gathered the team and shared what had happened. Then, we had open discussions about their challenges. A recurring theme emerged: they were stuck in repetitive tasks and eager to grow. I asked, “Would you be interested in DevOps?” The response was a unanimous yes.
That was the moment I transitioned from being just a leader to also becoming a teacher.
Our DevOps Journey: Step by Step
Step 1: Understanding the Pain Points
The team, despite having 6+ years of experience, was primarily handling reactive support (laptop issues, printer problems, OS crashes, etc.). I knew the key was automation. We began by analyzing repetitive tasks through a custom ticketing system in Jira. Unsurprisingly, password reset requests were the biggest time sink.
We automated the 2FA enrollment reminder emails, making reporting managers accountable if users didn’t act. Result? We cut down ticket volume by one-third.
Step 2: Linux Basics
With time freed up, we started learning Linux. While some had installed it before, few had real command-line experience. Over a month, we covered basic commands, use cases, and built foundational confidence.
Step 3: Docker & Containerization
Once comfortable with Linux, I introduced them to Docker—but not before answering the most important question: Why Docker? We explored containerization, installed Docker, and learned about Nginx, load balancing, and upstream configs. In just a few weeks, we had Docker containers running smoothly.
Step 4: Automation with GitLab
The next hurdle was automating container deployments. This led us to GitLab. I set up an internal GitLab server and migrated all deployment scripts and notes there. Each team member had their own repo, project, and access to my documentation.
They learned versioning, Git workflows, and how to use webhooks with GitLab to trigger automation—branch-specific and tag-based.
Step 5: CI/CD with Jenkins
Once GitLab was in place, Jenkins was the natural next step. We created an in-house Jenkins server and started building Freestyle projects. Every week brought new integrations—SonarQube, Nexus, Ansible, notifications, and more.
Daily training meetings helped troubleshoot issues collaboratively, and slowly, everyone began to understand not just how but why the process works.
Step 6: Declarative Pipelines
This month, we stepped into Declarative Pipelines. Just yesterday, the team completed their first end-to-end CI/CD pipeline integrating SonarQube, Nexus, and Ansible.
From zero Linux knowledge to building real-world pipelines—watching this transformation unfold was one of my proudest moments.
Reflections
Over the past six months, I wasn’t just upgrading my team—I was upgrading myself. Teaching forced me to revisit forgotten nuances and rediscover the value of patience and clarity. It reminded me that leadership is as much about nurturing growth as it is about delivering results.
What’s Next?
We’re not done yet. Next up: monitoring solutions and the ever-evolving world of cloud technologies. But with the belief I now have in this team, I know we’ll conquer that challenge too—together.
To every leader out there: Never underestimate the power of teaching, listening, and growing with your team. Sometimes, the roadmap to success isn’t about choosing between upgrading yourself or your team—it’s about doing both, in tandem.
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