PRODUCT LEADERSHIP

12 reasons, why successful product leaders regularly collaborate with their team members.

Unlocking the full potential of your team: the importance of understanding the work of your team as a Product Leader.

6 min readJan 17, 2023

As a Product Leader, truly understanding the work and needs of your team is crucial for effectively leading and driving success.

Product & Leadership Playbook

Play 6/196 — Recognizing People

Have you ever actually wondered what precisely the people in your team doing on a day-to-day basis, and what challenges they are facing?

As a Product Leader, understanding what your team members are doing is important for several reasons. First, it allows you to make more informed decisions about the direction and priorities of the product. This can help ensure that the product is meeting the needs of its users and is aligned with the overall goals of the company. Additionally, understanding the work of your team members can help you identify and address any challenges or bottlenecks that may be impacting their productivity or ability to deliver high-quality work. This can help ensure that the team is operating as efficiently and effectively as possible. Furthermore, understanding the work of your team members can also help you provide better mentorship and coaching, which can help them to grow and develop professionally. Overall, understanding the work of your team members is crucial for being an effective Product Leader and driving the success of the product.

So how could you take the leverage by knowing what people do in your team?

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” — Steve Jobs

As Steve Jobs says, design is not just about the aesthetic appearance of a product, but also encompasses how it functions and operates. A product may look visually appealing, but if it doesn’t work well or is difficult to use, it is not truly well-designed. Therefore, good design is not only about aesthetics but also about usability, functionality, and user experience. It means that good design is not only about how something looks, but also how it works and how it makes people feel when they use it.

Spending time with your people and learning what challenges they face and how they solve them, will help you to steer the product better and learn so much about your people. Here are the key highlights, which will stand out nearly immediately during a collaboration.

Communication style: How well does the person communicate with their team? Do they clearly express their ideas and expectations? Are they open to feedback and suggestions from others?
Leadership abilities: How does the person lead the team? Are they able to inspire and motivate others? Do they delegate tasks effectively? Are they able to make decisions and take responsibility for the outcome?
Work ethic: How does the person approach their work? Are they dedicated and hardworking? Do they take initiative and go above and beyond what is expected? Are they reliable and meet deadlines?
Problem-solving skills: How does the person handle challenges and obstacles that arise? Are they able to think creatively and come up with solutions? Do they work well under pressure?
Teamwork: How well does the person work with others? Are they able to collaborate and build strong relationships with their teammates? Do they value others’ input and ideas?
Adaptability: How well does the person adapt to change and new situations? Are they open to trying new methods and approaches? Can they handle uncertainty and ambiguity?
Analytics: How does the person work with data? Do they understand how to collect, organize, and interpret data? Can they identify insights and draw conclusions from the data?
Tools: How well does the person understand and use the tools? Can they navigate the interface and find the features they need? Are they able to use the tools effectively to complete tasks?
Critical thinking: How does the person approach problem-solving? Do they ask questions and consider multiple perspectives? Are they able to evaluate information and make sound decisions?
Problem-solving: How is the employee approaching challenges and obstacles that arise? Are they able to break down complex problems into smaller parts? Do they use logic and reasoning to find solutions?
Planning and organizing: How well does the person plan and organizes their work? Are they able to prioritize tasks and set goals? Do they use tools and systems to stay organized?
Communication: How well does the person communicate the results of within the team and the stakeholders? Are they able to explain their findings in a clear and concise manner? Do they use data visualization to help others understand the product?

The plus 1 is, which is maybe the most important: Trust. Spending time with your team, and collaborating with them, helps team members feel heard and valued, which can increase their trust in you as their leader.

Increased transparency: As soon as you collaborate with your team, they are likely to be more transparent about their decision-making process, goals, and plans. This increased transparency helps team members understand the reasoning behind decisions and the direction of the company, which can increase their trust in you as their leader.
Building relationships: Collaborating with team members allows you to build stronger relationships with them. By working together on projects and sharing ideas, you can get to know your team members on a personal level, which can increase trust and understanding.
Showing vulnerability: By collaborating with team members, you show vulnerability and that you are willing to admit when you are wrong or have made a mistake. This shows team members that the leader is human and not infallible, which can help build trust and mutual respect.
Demonstrating commitment: When you as a leader collaborate with your team, they demonstrate a commitment to the success of the team and the company. This helps team members feel that the leader is invested in their success, which can increase their trust in the leader.

My book recommendation for a deep dive into the subject.

Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption

Discover how to drive consumer disruption and unlock hidden value for your business with the power of decoupling. In ‘Unlocking the Customer Value Chain,’ learn how to break traditional industry boundaries and create new opportunities for growth.

Link to buy the book: Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption

Hi, I’m Lehel. I became a product manager to fuel my curiosity in technology and business management by creating digital products. My journey allowed me to dive deep into product design, user experience, business administration, and learning multiple programming languages. I have been fortunate to lead programs for successful Startups and Fortune 500 companies whereas a leader, my focus is on establishing a great product culture to help people strive by following servant leadership and radical candor principles. In my free time, I write about product management & leadership topics to document the learnings of my past 15 years in the field.

It starts with:

You can find me at lehelkakonyi.com as well…