How to make a development team more successful

A new study reveals what really makes software development teams tick: it’s not equal workload distribution, but rather a strong, active leader — and, surprisingly, a timely leadership change. Conducted with the involvement of researchers from Corvinus University of Budapest, the study highlights that projects tend to perform better when leadership evolves over time.

A team of four researchers from Corvinus University of Budapest and Central European University analyzed around 6,000 open-source projects on GitHub to uncover how team dynamics, leadership roles, and project success are interconnected. Their findings were published in late April in Nature Communications, offering fresh insights into what drives high-performing developer communities.

The Power of a Central Lead Developer

According to the study, these developer communities typically see the emergence of a central leader early on. Within the first year, certain team members take on a disproportionate share of the workload and assume the role of lead developer. These individuals often complete up to half of all tasks, while the second most active contributor usually accounts for just 10–20%.

But these leaders aren’t just prolific coders — they’re also responsible for steering the project’s direction and coordinating the team. On average, lead developers are simultaneously active in three other projects, compared to most team members who tend to focus on a single project at a time.

Interestingly, the research also found that the more uneven the distribution of work within the team, the more successful the project becomes. These projects typically garner more downloads, suggesting higher quality and greater impact. One of the key drivers behind this efficiency appears to be that having a few dedicated developers handle most of the work reduces the need for constant coordination, streamlining decision-making and execution.

Why Leadership Changes Matter

Another standout finding: leadership transitions tend to boost project performance. The study shows that lead developers don’t always remain at the helm throughout a project’s life cycle. In many cases, a different team member steps up as the primary leader in the project’s second or third year. Meanwhile, the original leader often shifts into a more supportive, administrative role while remaining involved.

Projects initiated by less experienced leaders were found to be one-third more likely to experience a leadership change over time. Remarkably, 92% of new leaders who step into the role remain in position for the long haul.

Teams that underwent leadership changes consistently outperformed those that didn’t. The researchers suggest that a fresh leadership perspective can inject new energy, creative ideas, and strategic direction into a project — factors that may have previously been untapped. Interestingly, the most significant improvements occurred in projects that had previously underperformed, while already well-functioning teams saw only modest gains from a leadership swap.

Social and Coordination Skills Are Rising in Importance

“Few studies have explored how teams evolve over time,” said Luca Gallo, a postdoctoral researcher at Corvinus University of Budapest and one of the study’s co-authors. “Our findings offer new perspectives on how team dynamics impact project success. Social and coordination skills are becoming increasingly valuable as they help leaders turn their ideas into tangible results,” he added.

The study was led by Luca Gallo and Johannes Wachs from Corvinus University of Budapest, in collaboration with Lorenzo Betti (lead author) and Federico Battiston.

Why This Matters for the Developer Community

These insights are particularly relevant as software development increasingly leans on decentralized, global, and often volunteer-based teams, especially in the open-source world. While collaborative ideals remain central to the developer ethos, this research suggests that an unequal division of labor, paired with adaptable leadership, can be a powerful formula for delivering impactful projects.

In practical terms, the findings hint at a few actionable takeaways for project founders and team managers:

• Don’t fear concentrated effort: Having a core contributor who shoulders most of the work can drive momentum and reduce delays caused by excessive coordination.
• Plan for leadership succession: Periodic changes at the top can breathe new life into projects, especially when performance plateaus or early leadership lacks experience.
• Prioritize soft skills: As teams evolve, social and organizational abilities become as important as technical expertise for leaders aiming to rally their teams and navigate complex challenges.

A Broader Trend in Team Dynamics

The study’s conclusions align with a growing body of research suggesting that traditional notions of team management, emphasizing flat hierarchies and equal workload distribution, may not always yield the best results — particularly in creative or highly technical fields.

Other studies in recent years have found similar patterns in fields ranging from open-source development to product design and R&D teams: projects with a clear, dynamic leadership structure and a core group of committed contributors tend to be more resilient and successful over time.

In the age of remote collaboration and open-source innovation, where teams often form organically and work asynchronously across time zones, these lessons are more relevant than ever.