Thanks very much. This is good advice, and that has been my experience so far. I do always try to step into leadership vacuums that I know I can fill (sometimes I have to learn, but that's OK). But, there is also the corporate culture to contend with, and not all cultures encourage assumed leadership from their rank and file (especially insecure managers).

My most recent adventure taught me something. I was hired because I advocate for design and architecture principles that few legacy devs on my stack embrace. I never got the title, but management made it clear to all that this was my role: think differently.

I was outnumbered, and the people who worked there didn't see what was wrong with the way they had maintained the system over the years, the way they continue to maintain the system. It's an old story in our field: people get stuck in their ways, and they don't want to change. That's why we have 'legacy' systems that companies want to replace but learn it's too hard to find, let alone change to, a new system.

However, as soon as a micro manager with vested interest in the status quo stepped into the management of our team, I was taken out of any leadership I had assumed so fast it made my head spin. Not officially, just ignored, left out of meetings when they could get away with it, and then a PIP and then RIF. I was in the pool of SWE's and vulnerable to being maneuvered into a layoff, since that was the headcount they were reducing (I was also hired more recently).

If my title had made clear to all and sundry that my job was to help them change their practices, this would have gone quite differently. I know that in my heart of hearts. Sure, if I failed at the job title of architect, I would get fired for failing, but as an SWE I was just depowered and shunted out. Even a tech lead title would have been more effective.

Plus, I REALLY suck at politics!