Is this a biased audience given that it's HN? In any case, my personal answer is definitely technical but with caveats that I won't repeat as others have made

Is this a biased audience given that it's HN? In any case, my personal answer is definitely technical but with caveats that I won't repeat as others have made solid arguments and the additional caveat that I would prefer a technical vs. non-technical lead any day. This is partly based on experience and partly based on my personal feelings. I feel more inspired by leaders who have been in the trenches before. Also, in my personal experience (emphasis on personal) I've noticed that non-technical leaders tend to have a chip on their shoulder about technical issues which leads them to either 1) devalue (often publicly through statements) technical ability or 2) take any criticism or negative feedback personally (in some cases, HR have gotten involved as there were accusations of *-ism).