The lead agent pattern that makes multi-agent teams actually work

Most multi-agent setups are just expensive chaos. You spin up three agents, they all start talking at once, nobody owns the outcome, and you end up with a $200 API bill and half-finished work.

The problem isn't the agents — it's the lack of hierarchy. You need one agent in charge.

Here's the lead agent pattern that actually works:

One agent owns the task. Other agents are workers.

The lead agent gets the original request, breaks it down, assigns subtasks to specialist workers, and assembles the final result. Workers never talk to each other — only to the lead.

I run this with a Code Lead that manages two workers: a Claude Code agent for implementation and a Review Agent for quality checks.

Here's how the handoffs work:

LEAD AGENT WORKFLOW:
1. Receive: "Build a user authentication system"
2. Plan: Break into subtasks (models, routes, tests, security)
3. Delegate: Send implementation task to Code Worker
4. Review: Send Code Worker output to Review Agent  
5. Iterate: Send feedback back to Code Worker if needed
6. Deliver: Package final result with documentation

The key is the lead agent's context management. It maintains a running summary of what each worker did, what worked, what didn't, and what's left to do.

Each worker gets a focused prompt:

CODE WORKER PROMPT:
"You are a code implementation specialist.
Your job: Write clean, working code for the assigned subtask.
Return: Code files + brief implementation notes.
Don't: Plan architecture, suggest alternatives, or review other code.
Report to: Lead Agent with status and any blockers."

The lead agent uses a different model tier — I run it on GPT-4 for planning and orchestration, while workers run on Claude 3.5 Sonnet for execution. The lead needs reasoning; workers need speed.

This prevents the classic multi-agent disasters:

• Circular conversations: Workers can't talk to each other
• Scope creep: Lead agent owns the original requirements
• Duplicate work: Lead tracks what's been done
• Abandoned tasks: Lead ensures everything gets finished

The pattern scales. I've run teams of 5 agents (lead + 4 specialists) for complex builds. The lead agent's context grows, but it's structured — task assignments, completion status, integration notes.

Warning: Don't make the lead agent do work. It plans, delegates, and integrates. The moment it starts coding or writing, you've broken the pattern.

The real power is in the iterations. When the Review Agent finds issues, the Lead Agent doesn't just pass the feedback — it adds context about what the original goal was and how this piece fits into the larger system.

Your agents need this kind of structure. Without a lead agent, you're running a committee. With one, you're running a team.