Seriously, how did I become a software lead without first being a SWE? I'm handling it well, but I really just want a 9-5 where 80% of my day spent with the code.
Maybe that's why I ended up here. Maybe getting 5 folks like you from 10% to 12% coding time makes a bigger difference than adding my own 10% to the pile :(
Early this year I joined a new team and expected the same to happen, but there were also a few other people who wanted the lead. I've taken that opportunity to let them. I'm now mainly coaching them and bothering with the team dynamics, without getting too distracted by stakeholder management. I now regularly have days where I'm pretty much fulltime coding! (And headspace to develop new initiatives outside the team; an unexpected benefit/distraction.)