The current state of the tech industry poses significant challenges for developers, including burnout, pressure to meet tight deadlines, and a lack of clear guidelines. To address this, technology leaders must find the right balance between freedom and control for their development teams. This is achieved by providing guardrails that ensure safety and direction without feeling restrictive. The role of mechanical sympathy, or understanding how software interacts with hardware, is also crucial in creating harmony between these two areas. Ultimately, empowering developers involves guiding them to prioritize risk effectively and promoting a culture of innovation and responsibility within the organization. By striking this balance and providing the right support and guidance, technology leaders can contribute to better teams and a more robust technological ecosystem.