Product Leadership Is a Team Sport

Influence without authority has always been the foundation of product management. As product leaders, this is even more important. To succeed, we must influence areas that are way beyond our control, and that’s a completely different ball game. Here are the things you must master in order to succeed.

Minding Your Manners With Stakeholders

Working well with stakeholders is crucial for your success. We often feel that they keep coming with requests that we have to deal with, which might lead to negative dynamics. Since it’s such an important topic, here are some guidelines to follow to make sure you are doing well.

The Inherent Tension Between Roadmaps and OKRs

Every roadmap is a plan, but a plan is worth nothing if not executed upon. Once the essence of your roadmap is ready, it’s time to put timelines on it. But how can you commit to results that would happen in the future? Honestly, you can’t. But there is still a lot you can do to help everyone understand where you are going and how.

They Are Not Product People

As product leaders we work with so many stakeholders, and we strive to include them in the product definition processes. While generally this is the right thing to do, there is one line that you don’t want to cross: letting them do the product work instead of you, or expecting them to contribute more than they can. Here is a quick guide to finding the right balance.

The Fine Line Between Aggressive Goals and Complete Fantasy

Setting goals is hard. You always need to balance between what you really (really) want, or even need, and what reality can support. And being super ambitious isn’t always the answer. Here is a fresh approach to setting goals that will keep you rooted both in reality and in vision.

Building Trust When Things Get Rough (Part 2)

Trust, as in almost anything in relationships, is built with honest communication. Unfortunately, many times it’s not as easy as it sounds, and it’s hard to be honest even with ourselves. Here are a few simple guidelines to boost your courage and help you make these not always easy conversations.

Building Trust When Things Get Rough (Part 1)

As product leaders, we are entirely dependent on others to be able to deliver results. We need them to follow our guidance, and that cannot happen without trust. Here are a few guidelines to help you re-establish trust when you feel you are in a constant uphill battle.

Are You a Real Problem Solver?

Problem-solving is one of the core characteristics of product managers. But the ability to solve customer problems does not always translate into the ability to solve problems for your own company. It is a slightly different skill to master, but very important for your ability to succeed.

Becoming a Strategic Product Leader, Part 3: Own the Big Picture

We live in a constant battle between tactical and strategic. Without ongoing care, the tactical will always win. Take it upon yourself to bring everyone back on the strategic track to make sure you are doing the right thing.

Becoming a Strategic Product Leader: Understanding the Business

Becoming more strategic is one of the most common – and most challenging – development areas for product leaders. This article and the following ones in the series will help you to get there.