What Exactly is Product Leadership?
Let us start off with what Product Leadership is NOT.
It’s NOT about UI, UX or even engagement or retention — What good are those if you haven’t truly defined what your overall goals are?
It’s NOT about running a perfectly synchronized Agile process — Yes, Agile is a way of being more effective. Yet, if you yourself cannot focus on what truly matters, your perfectly synced Agile team might be very busy, but probably not effective.
It’s NOT even about how not to fail — Failing is a learning process. Knowing where and when to quit is often the most important decision.
Most importantly — and perhaps most surprising — Product Leadership is NOT necessarily about having the best product manager skills.
Why is this?
Being a product manager is similar to being a conductor: you can’t make much sound without your band. Hence, if you cannot be a master influencer and do not know how to drive change within your organization, you will remain a cog in the wheel. A very important cog, no doubt, but one that can and will be replaced as it wears out…
In order to be a great Product Leader you do not need to master product management— you need to master professional and self leadership. Having said that, it is important this be not confused with charisma or authority, which you either have or you don’t.
“As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.”
— John C. Maxwell
Leadership skills can be learned and a leadership mindset can be built. It begins by understanding that you have a choice. You can decide to be your own boss (regardless if you already have one), constantly guiding and pushing yourself. Leadership is identifying your own barriers — it means pushing yourself outside of these (self-defined) barriers. It means showing up when you least feel like it, simply because you know that is what you need to do. Becoming a leader means identifying the feeling of being outside your comfort zone and turning this into a trigger to keep moving forward and not turning away.
We, as product managers, are too often too busy to look ourselves in the mirror. True, we may have the most stressful job in the organization. Deep inside, though, we know that being busy is the easy excuse. From here it’s on you. To advance to the next level, you need to become an impactful Product Leader.
The good news is that it can be taught.
The bad news (could be) that it requires making a decision with yourself.
If you can solve the dilemma, you might very well be the Product Leader type.
Yoav Yechiam is a serial entrepreneur and Product specialist. He is the owner and chief strategy consultant at Y-Perspective, a Product Consulting, and Analytics firm. He is the Founder of the productMBA and Startup CEO Course.
