My first product role wasn’t in product.

Twenty years ago, I joined a company as an engineering lead for a new team they were building.

When I joined, the VP of R&D explained the task at hand: integrate the company’s existing products into third-party no-code platforms used by data teams. He explained exactly how it needs to be done – by opening the technical ability to access our products from these third-party tools, and shared that I had one engineer for one quarter to do so.

Before getting to work, I asked what we were hoping to achieve with this integration. My professional upbringing was such that I never moved on without understanding the bigger picture. This time, it was more crucial than usual.

The company I joined was in the data integration space. They had built drivers that allowed access to multiple data sources in a unified way. These drivers came with some unique and valuable features, but there was a problem: people struggled to use them. My team’s purpose was clear—help new personas within our customer companies easily benefit from the deep integrations with our products that the IT personnel in these companies had already built, thus increasing value and stickiness.

It made sense, and I went to study these third-party tools and what they offered. As I did, I learned that the approach was problematic.

When I told the VP that what he wanted my team to do wasn’t going to get us where we wanted to be, he looked stunned. He obviously hadn’t expected that kind of challenge from an engineering lead. But to his credit, he asked why, and we kept the conversation going.

Here is what I found in my research: The term “no-code” wasn’t a thing back then, but that’s what the platforms we were targeting were all about. They were built for non-developers—people who needed simplicity and ease of use. The VP’s plan was to integrate our products into these platforms by adding API access. It would technically work, but as any of you who tried knows, it is neither easy nor simple, especially for people without an engineering background. 

Instead, I proposed to go all-in and write real no-code components that integrate seamlessly into these third-party tools.

After what seemed like intense discussions and some back-and-forth (the VP wanted additional evidence that this was the right direction), he agreed. My team grew from one person for one quarter to four people who worked for almost a year. The result was a product that was the right solution for both the new personas we wanted to target and the company. It was a success.

Shortly after, the company offered me a business-oriented role, leading me to realize that solving strategic problems and connecting technology to the business world was where I wanted to be. Sounds familiar? My next role was a formal product manager, and the rest is history.

As you can see from my example here, strategic clarity can make the difference between working hard and achieving the right results. I’m sure you know that.

But what can you do if that’s not a common practice in your company?

First, rest assured that in many companies, the strategic context is often overlooked. In the great companies, however, it never is.

Helping your company “speak” strategy, even if it doesn’t, starts by steering discussions upwards—with management—sideways—with colleagues, and downwards—with your employees. Here is what you need to do with each. 

Upward: Speak Their Unspoken Strategy

I know it often doesn’t look like it, but even when the CEO asks to do something that seems completely off, they have a reason.

That reason is often untold and sometimes comes from their intuition, not as a result of a clearly articulated analytical effort. But no one likes to speak nonsense, and therefore, if your CEO (or anyone in management) says something that sounds silly or lacks context, you should give them the benefit of the doubt that they genuinely think it’s a good idea, and for a good reason – whether they share it or not.

Since this reason is not always clearly articulated, even in their own minds, it is your job to help them state it clearly. 

Start by listening, for real. Don’t rush into judging whether or not it’s a good idea. Just look to hear why they think it is. If they don’t say it, and you can’t connect the dots, ask specific clarifying questions.

For example, instead of asking the general question, “Why do you think we should do that?” ask, “What is the result we are trying to achieve with that effort?”. The more specific you are, the easier it is for them to think it through.

Then, compile the full story in your own words. Start at the top – this is the problem we are trying to solve; this is what will be considered a success; these are the assumptions and constraints, and lead logically all the way to the inevitable conclusion that this is the right solution.

When you have a missing link in your story, ask a specific clarifying question.

When you share what you understand, let them correct your interpretation. This is usually necessary not because you were wrong but because now, when they hear their logic out loud, they realize it needs adjustment.

This dance could be quick and in real-time if the topic is simple or if you have developed that muscle for a while. But don’t be afraid to stop at any point and say that you will organize what you have learned today offline and set up another session.

While a written narrative is a must for complex ideas, in my experience, the discussion itself is best conducted verbally since your manager is busy and wants to respond quickly and move on.

Sideways: Lead by Example

You can never succeed alone.

Your colleagues’ priorities and decisions influence your success and vice versa. The more you get into business outcomes, the more it is important to create strategic alignment with them for everyone’s benefit.

Yet, in many organizations, “strategy” remains an abstract concept, and most discussions focus on immediate deliverables. To change that, you must lead by example: share your strategy clearly and align on desired outcomes and priorities while encouraging them to do the same.  

Start by clearly articulating your own strategy. What are you trying to achieve? How does it support the company’s broader goals? What trade-offs are you making? This doesn’t need to be a grand presentation—just a simple, clear explanation that ties your work to the outcomes the company cares about most.  

One tool you will need to apply regularly is to force yourself not to speak about solutions, features, and deliverables before the strategic context is super solid and leads directly into these solutions.

A way to do so is to allow yourself to talk about features only as an example of a point you made earlier, not as a point in and of itself.

Once you’ve clarified your strategy, invite your peers into the conversation. Explain how your strategy aligns with theirs and where there might be dependencies or conflicts. For example, if your goal is to drive customer adoption of a new feature, and a peer’s team is focused on reducing churn, show how your strategies can complement each other—or highlight areas where you may need to adjust.  

The goal isn’t just to share information but to create a culture of mutual accountability. When you model this behavior, you implicitly encourage your colleagues to think more strategically about their own work. Instead of focusing solely on outputs, they start to consider outcomes. Instead of siloed efforts, you begin to see collaborative opportunities emerge.  

Keep in mind that not everyone will have the same level of comfort discussing strategy. Some peers might be laser-focused on execution or hesitant to engage in broader discussions. That’s okay. Leading by example means showing patience and persistence, asking thoughtful questions, and consistently framing conversations around shared goals.  

Ultimately, aligning sideways isn’t about dictating or demanding—it’s about creating an environment where strategic conversations feel natural and valuable. By making your own strategy visible and engaging your colleagues in discussions about theirs, you set the stage for better decisions, stronger collaboration, and outcomes that benefit the entire organization.

Downward: Raise the Bar

Strategic thinking is challenging. That’s why your team often looks to you for direction—which they should—but wants it manifested by detailed instructions, which is where things go wrong.

Remember that as a manager, by default, anything you say will be interpreted as strict instructions with immediate priority, even if you didn’t mean it that way at all.

Therefore, it’s on you to phrase your requests from them in a way that fosters their own thinking.

Start by redefining how you delegate. When you ask your team to do something, don’t hand them a task or a solution to build. Instead, give them a problem rooted in the strategic context.

Explain the bigger problems you are trying to solve and where they fit in. Articulate the problem you need them to solve and what would be a successful outcome. 

Then, let them think.

It is important to allocate the time for strategic thinking. Some companies are in such a hurry to deliver that they forget that they need the right deliverable, not just a quick one.

Ask your team to practice the upward principle mentioned above, with you as their manager.

Make sure they understand you well and then ask them to go with the sideways principle from above – forcing them to clearly articulate their strategy before they go about it.

The question you need to ask yourself is not whether the team got to the solution you had in mind originally but rather whether they chose the right solution and whether they were able to explain clearly why it is the right and best one.

Remember, this might not come naturally to everyone on your team.

Moving from receiving direct instructions to thinking independently and strategically can be challenging and will take time. 

But the more you reinforce the expectation that strategy comes first, the more they’ll rise to meet it. You know the transformation is done when, instead of looking to you for answers, they’ll ask you challenging questions.

Finally, hold yourself to the same standard. Model the behavior you want to see by sharing your own strategic thinking openly. Let your team see how you connect the dots between company goals, team priorities, and the solutions you pursue.

Raising the bar isn’t just about improving the quality of your team’s work—it’s about empowering them to think like leaders and contribute meaningfully to the company’s success. That’s how you create a culture where strategy isn’t just spoken—it’s lived.