# Leaders - Career Pathways > WordPress project leadership roles guiding the future of the platform. ## Overview Leadership positions within the WordPress open source project are the highest levels of influence and responsibility. These are rare, trust-based positions achieved through years of contribution, demonstrated expertise, and community respect. ## Pathways in This Category - **[[Release Squad Lead Pathway]]** - Leading WordPress major releases (6-month cycles) - **[[Make Team Lead Pathway]]** - Leading specific Make teams (Design, Core, etc.) - **[[Executive Director Pathway]]** - WordPress Foundation leadership (hired role) - **[[Project Lead Pathway]]** - Overall WordPress project leadership (currently Matt Mullenweg) --- ## Characteristics of WordPress Leadership ### Prerequisites - **Years of Contribution**: Typically 3-7+ years sustained contribution - **Deep Expertise**: Recognized expert in domain (Core development, Design, etc.) - **Community Trust**: Earned trust through consistent, quality work - **Demonstrated Leadership**: Led initiatives, mentored contributors, resolved conflicts - **Project Alignment**: Decisions align with WordPress mission and philosophy ### Leadership Philosophy - **Servant Leadership**: Leaders serve the project and community, not rule it - **Distributed Authority**: Decision-making distributed across teams, not centralized - **Consensus-Building**: Major decisions involve community input and discussion - **Transparency**: Leadership discussions happen openly (make.wordpress.org P2 blogs) - **Sustainability**: Build systems that outlast individuals --- ## Time Commitment | Role | Hours/Week | Duration | Compensation | |------|------------|----------|--------------| | Release Lead | 20-30+ | 6 months | Usually sponsored | | Team Lead | 10-20 | Ongoing (years) | Usually sponsored | | Executive Director | 40+ | Full-time | WordPress Foundation salary | | Project Lead | 40+ | Ongoing | Automattic CEO (Matt) | **Reality Check**: Leadership roles require significant time - employer sponsorship or retirement/sabbatical typically necessary. --- ## Path to WordPress Leadership ### Progression Model (7-15 years typical) 1. **Start Contributing** (Year 1) - Join relevant Make team - Make first contributions - Learn team processes 2. **Regular Contributor** (Years 1-3) - Consistent monthly contributions - Build expertise in domain - Help new contributors 3. **Core Contributor** (Years 3-5) - Review others' contributions - Lead specific initiatives - Mentor multiple contributors 4. **Component Lead** (Years 5-8) - Lead specific component/area - Architectural decision-making - Represent area in team discussions 5. **Team Representative** (Years 8-12) - Lead entire Make team - Guide team strategy - Collaborate with other team reps 6. **Release Leadership** (Years 10+) - Coordinate WordPress releases - Cross-team orchestration - Project-level visibility 7. **Executive Leadership** (Years 12-15+) - Rare appointed positions - Project-wide responsibility - Strategic direction --- ## Types of WordPress Leaders ### Release Squad Leads - **Release Lead**: Overall coordinator for major WordPress release (6-month cycle) - **Component Leads**: Lead specific components (Editor, REST API, Performance, etc.) - **Commitment**: Intense 6 months, then step back - **Path**: Component Lead for 2-3 releases → Release Lead ### Make Team Leaders - **Team Representative**: Lead entire Make team (one per team) - **Co-Leads**: Some teams have co-leads for load distribution - **Commitment**: Ongoing for years (but can step down) - **Path**: Core Contributor → Component Lead → Team Rep ### WordPress Foundation - **Executive Director**: Full-time hired position leading WordPress open source project - **Small Team**: ~10 positions supporting project - **Funding**: WordCamps, donations, trademark licensing - **Path**: Years of contribution + hired through search process ### Project Lead - **Currently**: Matt Mullenweg (WordPress co-founder) - **Future**: No formal succession plan; would require community consensus - **Theoretical Path**: Decades of contribution + community trust + appointed --- ## Compensation Reality ### Volunteer Leadership (Most Common) - Team Leads typically volunteer - Personal fulfillment and influence - Professional benefits (reputation, network) ### Employer-Sponsored Leadership - Work for WordPress-focused company - Leadership contribution part of job description - Salary from employer (not WordPress) - Examples: Automattic, WP Engine, Human Made employees ### WordPress Foundation Positions (Rare) - Executive Director + small team (~10 people total) - Competitive tech salaries ($100-200K+) - Benefits and job security - Based anywhere (remote work) --- ## When Leadership Isn't Right ### Consider Alternatives If: - Don't have 10-20+ hours/week available - Prefer coding to meetings and coordination - Want compensation without employer sponsorship - Seeking faster career progression - Prefer focus over breadth ### Better Alternatives: - **Senior IC Contributor**: Deep technical expertise without leadership burden - **Specialized Consultant**: High-value consulting leveraging WordPress expertise - **Product Company Leader**: CTO/VP at WordPress company (compensation + impact) - **Mentor Focus**: Teach and develop others without organizational responsibility --- ## Resources Each leadership pathway has detailed information: - [[Release Squad Lead Pathway]] - How to become release lead - [[Make Team Lead Pathway]] - How to lead Make team - [[Executive Director Pathway]] - Path to WordPress Foundation leadership - [[Project Lead Pathway]] - Understanding overall project leadership --- *Return to [[1. Projects/WP Curriculum/04 - Leaders/README|Main Curriculum Index]]* *Note: Leadership comes after years of contribution - focus on [[Make Team Contributor Pathway]] first*