Introduction

In today’s dynamic technology landscape, leading teams correctly can make all the difference. We are seeing an emergence of innovative technologies, companies, teams, etc. Behind some of these innovations are teams that consist of product managers, engineers, designers, etc.

Most organizations function because a head of product usually has to lead and manage different product managers under their watch. Many companies have different titles for this position, including lead product manager, VP of Product, CPO (Chief Product Officer), Director of Product, and Head of Product, you name it.
All or more of these positions usually have product managers working under them.

The million-dollar question is: How does one effectively lead product managers in an organization?

This article is an attempt to answer that question. This is my personal opinion, so feel free to adapt it to your company’s style or strategy. I will attempt to answer this question using ‘Ken Blanchard’s situational leadership model’.

Are you ready, set, read…

Level 1: Directing

aka Telling

This leadership style involves giving product managers tasks and having them implement them. In this leadership style, the lead product manager is usually more experienced and might be in the best position to develop the initiative. The lead product manager is the strategic thinker, whilst the PM being managed is the operational thinker.

This leadership style is best suited for interns, junior product managers, associate product managers or product managers new to an organization or industry. This can also be adopted in cases where a product manager has just shifted verticals or even changed teams within an organization.

Case study (story one):
Alam joins a fintech company as a junior product manager. Alam has some PM internship/training experience but has never worked in the fintech industry. Instead of just dumping Alam on a project, Esther, the Senior PM, should direct Alam to where he can get valuable insights, instruct him on the stakeholders to talk to and guide him throughout the execution process. This should be done at least for Alam’s first project.

With this style, you tell the PMs:
What they have to do
How to do it
Why it needs to be done and
When it needs to be done.
Provide step-by-step instructions and define specific tasks and expectations. Monitor progress closely and offer frequent feedback.

It is important to mention that there is a thin line between directing and micro-managing. You should NOT micro-manage people, as this is an ineffective leadership style.

Level 2: Coaching

aka Selling

Coaching is a good approach for product managers who demonstrate competence but still need guidance. Most likely, the PMs working under you would have different strengths and weaknesses. Your duty as a leader is to identify and praise your reporters for their strengths and coach them through their weaknesses.
In this leadership style, you want to help the product manager reach their full potential. You can help them set their goals and guide them through how to achieve them.

Case study continuation (story two):
Alam has been with the product team for about two years and understands the ins and outs of the product to some degree. Now, he is ready to own a product initiative of the organization. Based on the competency he has demonstrated over the past year, his manager (Esther) assigns Alam to manage the payment product.
However, she would not just dump him into the deep red sea. Now, she offers coaching to Alam by engaging in two-way communication, Encouraging questions and discussions, offering guidance and sharing her expertise. When Alam was a junior PM, one-on-one communications happened almost daily, but now they have one weekly check-in.

This is a great way to manage associate-level and mid-level product managers.

Level 3: Supporting

aka Participating

This leadership style is great for product managers who are competent in their jobs but need some form of motivation/encouragement or have some inconsistencies occasionally.
Product managers who know and own their problem/product areas are best suited for this style. They should be allowed to take autonomy and develop their visions/goals.
How to best manage PMs at this level is by being a supportive and empathetic leader. Foster autonomy and decision-making. Be available for assistance when needed but allow product managers to lead most of the initiatives.

Case study continuation (story three):
Alam has spent five years within the organization and has a solid grasp of the organization, the competition and the industry in general. Esther, his manager, now the Head of Product, allows him(Alam) to make more strategic decisions/initiatives as he sees fit. She monitors his KPIs and provides mentorship support but trusts Alam more with the decision-making. At this stage, Alam also offers coaching and manages two interns and one associate manager within the team.

Senior Product Managers and some mid-level product managers fall into this category.

Level 4: Delegating

aka Empowering

This leadership style is for Product managers who are highly skilled at what they do and can work/progress independently. Your work as a manager is to monitor their results and be a part of some decision-making process.
Managers have to trust the product managers at this level to manage their tasks and projects without much intervention. Provide them with opportunities for leadership and decision-making. Offer guidance only when requested. Monitor progress from a distance and intervene only when necessary.

Case study continuation (story four):
Four years later, Esther is now a C-level executive, and Alam has been replaced as Director of Products. Esther is more involved with the organisation's strategic direction, whilst Alam is trusted to make the product decisions for his vertical.

Some Senior PMs, Director of Products, Head of Products, and VPs are good candidates for this management style.

I hope you found this article helpful. Feel free to share your thoughts with your manager or someone who might find this useful.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
Order my book ‘Leadership 101 for Millenials and GenZ’ on Amazon DE or Amazon Worldwide.

Lots of young people these days aspire to be global leaders. You can see this trend as more and more young people emerge as company executives, political strategists, social influencers, etc. Personally, I think this is awesome. The more young people we have with strategic minds and leadership skills, the better off the world will be.

But here lies the problem, some want to rise to stardom overnight, and some want to be given a big sit at the table with little to no track record. It’s like wanting a title shot at being the world-heavy weight champion in your debut match, it is not impossible, but the chances are very slim.

Having a big dream or vision to change the world, revolutionize your nation, positively impact your community, and be the best in your career is great. But more important is your ability to start from where you are.
Too often, we get caught up in thinking that we need to be in a certain place or have a certain level of experience or knowledge before we can really make a difference. But the truth is, you can start making a difference right now, no matter where you are.

Permit me to tell you the story of ​​Malala Yousafzai a young woman from Pakistan. Although she was only a teenager, she had a strong voice and a love for education. Malala began advocating for the value of girls’ education even though doing so was perilous. She suffered threats of her life and was ultimately shot by the Taliban, yet she lived and persisted in her battle.

Today, Malala is a global icon for education and human rights. She’s won countless awards and won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. But she didn’t start from a position of power or influence. She started from where she was, as a young girl in Pakistan who believed in something.
Think about the great Martin Luther King Jr. He did not start his advocacy from a big position of influence or fame. He started speaking for the black race from his small church parish.
Many tech start-ups we celebrate today did not start from a fancy office in silicon valley. They started from a garage.

I can base an entire book on the stories of people who did not start from a place of experience, influence, or even expertise; rather, they started from where they were. You can start making a difference right where you are. Maybe you’re a student who wants to make your school a better place. Maybe you’re a volunteer who wants to help your community. Maybe you care about an issue and want to raise awareness.
Whatever your starting point, You can start from where you are and begin positively impacting the world today.

This article is an excerpt from my book: Leadership 101 for Millennials and Gen Z.

You can order it today. Order on Amazon

It was the summer of 1996, and the Nigerian Olympic football team was gearing up for the biggest tournament of their lives. They had come a long way since their formation, with a group of young, talented players coming together to represent their country on the world stage.

The team had been preparing for the arduous undertaking for months, both psychologically and physically. They knew they were competing against some of the top teams in the world, like Italy, Brazil, and Argentina. Yet, they were motivated to succeed and win the gold medal for Nigeria.

Jo Bonfrere, a Dutchman who coached the squad, had spent many hours honing his players’ strategies and fostering the growth of their skills. He was aware of their talent for success, but he also understood that teamwork was the only way for them to achieve it.

And that’s exactly what they did. From the tournament’s first game, the Nigerian team showed they were a force to be reckoned with. Led by their captain, Nwankwo Kanu, they played with skill, determination, and a fierce sense of team spirit.

In their first match, they faced Hungary, a formidable opponent that had defeated them in a previous friendly. But this time, the Nigerians were ready. They played with intensity and purpose and bagged a 1–0 victory.

The Nigerians once again displayed their prowess in their subsequent match against Japan. They won the game 2–0 and are now well-positioned to move on to the knockout rounds thanks to a solid defensive line and a relentless attack.

They, however, experienced some heartbreak when the star-studded Brazillian team, including Ronaldo, Bebeto, and Roberto Carlos, defeated them one goal to nil. They also had a smooth ride when they defeated Mexico by two goals to nil in the quarter-final.

The match versus Brazil in the semifinals was the true test, though. The Brazilians were the defending Olympic champions with stars like Ronaldo, Bebeto, and Roberto Carlos on their roster. The Nigerians, however, were unfazed. They played with a level of focus and energy that stunned the Brazilians, scoring twice in the opening period to seize the initiative. Brazil came back in the second half, but it was too late. In what many regarded as one of the greatest games in Olympic football history, the Nigerians hung on to win 4–3.

And in that final game, against a tough Argentinian team, the Nigerians played with all their heart and soul. They were fast, they were precise, and they were fearless. They attacked relentlessly, and when the final whistle blew, they had secured a 3–2 victory and the Olympic gold medal.

It culminated years of hard work and dedication for the Nigerian team. They triumphed after overcoming obstacles and competing against some of the top teams in the world. They served as a bright example of what can be accomplished when gifted individuals work together as a team toward a common objective. And because of their outstanding achievement at the Olympic Games in 1996, they will always be recognized as heroes by the Nigerian people.

Reflecting on the journey of the Olympic team, it is safe to say that “it is better to have a cohesive/functional team with average talents than have a team of dysfunctional talented people.”
NB:
I do not imply that the teams defeated were dysfunctional.

Some characteristics we can draw from the Nigerian Olympic team about high-performing teams:

1. High-performing teams have clear goals: They clearly understand their goals and objectives. They know what they are working towards and why it is important. The leader’s job is to paint the goal to the team. Bonfrere Jo instilled a mindset into the hearts of the players that they were not in the tournament to complete the numbers but to make a mark. He meant this, it showed in his passion and his messaging to the players and the press. You probably want to check out youtube for some videos of the matches.
2. Trust: Trust is a critical component of high-performing teams. Team members trust each other to do their part, be reliable, and communicate effectively. The Nigerian team so trusted each other that Celestine Babayaro (left-center back) once said he was sure Daniel Amokachi would get the ball if he gave a through pass from a certain distance. Austin Jay-Jay Okocha (midfielder) knew Kanu Nwankwo (captain/striker) would be in the box if he crossed the ball. You must know/understand the abilities of your team members and trust that everyone will do their job.
3. Collaboration: High-performing teams work collaboratively, leveraging the strengths and skills of each team member to achieve their goals. Know the weaknesses and strengths of your teammates and leverage this to your advantage. The teammates were not trying to steal the spotlight. People knew Jay-Jay Okocha(midfielder) was a great dribbler and crosser, so he was allowed to play this role well; Sunday Oliseh (defensive midfielder) was a great free-kick taker, and he was allowed to perform this duty. A lot of teams miss out on opportunities because the star member is the one who must handle all the key responsibilities at all times. This would lead to burnout of the star players, others won’t have the opportunity to grow, and jealousy/strive might begin to set in; this is bad for any team, irrespective of the context, not just football.
4. Open communication: Effective teams are more likely to perform well. Members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, asking questions, and giving feedback. We’ve discussed communication in a previous chapter, so I won’t dwell on this. I will mention that communication is very important, and you should pay attention to this as a leader or aspiring leader.
5. Accountability: Team members hold themselves and each other accountable for their performance and the outcomes they achieve. The captain (Kanu Nwankwo) demonstrated accountability a lot by stepping up into the situation when needed. He was held accountable when one of the team members went partying during the tournament. Many leaders are partial and afraid to hold others accountable for their actions. As a leader, you must also be willing to take responsibility for yourself and the team when something goes wrong.
6. Continuous learning/growth: High-performing teams always learn and look for improvement. They encourage innovation and experimentation and are willing to take risks. Some of the players in the 1996 Olympics had played in the 1994 USA world cup, where Nigeria got knocked out in the second round of the competition (round of 16). The team had also been defeated in some friendly matches before the competition, they were able to retrospect and improve on their flaws and adopt new strategies. “The team that stops growing would soon start going down.
7. Positive attitude: High-performing teams have a positive attitude and are committed to achieving their goals. They support each other and celebrate their successes. Even when the team was down by a goal or two, they kept their spirits high and pushed on. When something goes wrong, that is not the time to point fingers and blame others. Even if a team member makes a mistake, everyone should come together to figure out a mitigation plan because in a team, a failure for one is a failure for all.
8. Diversity: High-performing teams value diversity, recognizing that it brings new perspectives, ideas, and ways of thinking to the team. The team included members from different tribes, football leagues, talents, etc. All of these people brought different skill sets and experiences to the table. Diversity is a very important topic in the 21st-century leadership because it is easy to get trapped in your bubble. Open perspectives matter and can help teams.

This article is an excerpt from my book: Leadership 101 for Millennials and Gen Z.

You can order it today. Order on Amazon.

Learnings from an Olympic Gold Medal Team on How High-Performing Teams can be Built was originally published in Backticks & Tildes on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I’m sure you must have heard about terms like web 3, blockchain, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, etc.
When people hear about terms that have to do with blockchain technology, it sometimes sounds like another new shinny technology on the block. But I believe this technology is much more than that and it has the potential to alter our world in a very dramatic way.

Ray Kurzweil in March 2001 published an essay arguing that humans found it hard to understand their own future. He stressed that this is historically correct and that technological evolution is exponential. Web 3 is a part of this evolution and the world would slowly start to adopt this.

In this article, I intend to share some interesting thoughts with you so please stay with me.

A little bit about Web 3

In order to fully grasp the context of what web 3 is about, let me start by walking you through a brief history.
The dawn of the internet age started with the introduction of Web 1 otherwise known as Web 1.0. This lasted for roughly 12 years (between 1991 to 2003).
At this time, most of the users of the internet were consumers. Developers served static text and image content to the browsers. It is important to note that whilst web 1.0 was around, we were not seeing so much dynamic HTML content coming from some database. The content creators in this era were the software engineers that served static content.

After the age of Web 1, we moved over to the glorious reign of Web 2.
A large portion of what we have today is Web 2, think of it as the interactive web. With web 2.0, non-developers can create content on the internet. You don’t have to be a developer to have social media content, a website, or web content in general. That is because contents can now be served dynamically from a database.
In fact, most web content creators today are not software developers. Most users with the highest following on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter do not need to write a line of code to serve content. The game-changer with Web 2 is the ability to save and retrieve contents from a database and dynamically serve it to the web. With web 2, data would have to be retrieved from some server (data center) and this would then be sent to the users’ browsers.
Web 2 was a game-changer but there is something even better and that is where Web 3 comes.
You can read more about the evolution of the web here.

Web 2 vs Web 3

There are a few differences between Web 2 and Web 3. But one of the major differences between this duo is decentralization. We have established earlier that Web 2 works with data from some data centers so this allows individuals or corporations to call the shots. The organization/individuals that own the servers determine a lot of things, this is the way a typical Web 2 application operates (think of the big names like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc):

• They create and launch their application on the web.
• They acquire users and launch a market strategy to monetize their platform.
• They keep increasing their product offerings and come up with ways to scale and generate more revenue for their platform.

You’d realize that the company calls all the shots and they control the movement of revenue. One of the major phenomena that allow this model to thrive is Data.
The more they acquire more users, they have access to more data and they find ways to use this data to generate more revenue.

Whilst this article is not going to be focused on how companies leverage user data to generate revenue, you would see many ways this can be done by just doing a quick google search.
As a result of this, data-breach has become a big issue and this is one of the things Web 3 hopes to resolve using decentralization.

Where does Blockchain fit into the mix?

In Web 3, developers would not usually build and host it on servers somewhere around the world (we’ve established earlier that this is the guiding principle for Web 2). Web 3 makes use of decentralized networks. With decentralized networks, developers are incentivized for creating a stable network within the blockchain. This is why crypto-currency is often mentioned with buzzwords like blockchain, decentralization, etc.
This is the guiding principle of Web 3.
Wealth on the internet would become more distributed as people would now get incentivized for their contribution to the blockchain.

It is important to state that Web 3 is the web holding the blockchain technology. While the blockchain is a distributed, decentralized, and digital ledger, there are protocols and standards guiding its use and access. There is also a high-security vulnerability on Web 3 when compared to Web 2. In other words, it is susceptible to cyber-attacks and lots of funds can be lost. It is also immutable(this facilitates transparency and trust).

Prophecy: The Digital Gold Rush

Between 1896 to 1900, there was a massive gold rush in parts of Canada and the United States. Many people relocated to locations where gold mines were situated. In fact, people were said to quit their lucrative jobs just to work at gold mines. Those were interesting times and I could just imagine what it felt like.

Just like there was a rush in the 1800s / early 1900s, I believe there would be another rush for assets, it would be digital assets this time around via digital mining. I believe that individuals and organizations need to start coming up with ways to position themselves for the opportunities that would come with the adoption of Web 3.

There are many ways people would be able to buy digital assets, using Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), would be key to doing this. Just like the value of assets varies, the value of NFTs would also vary depending on a lot of parameters. If you are wondering what NFTs are, then watch this video and this video too.

Blockchain technology would be applied in many areas eg gaming, payments, insurance, real estate, voting, logistics, gambling, etc.

If you are a developer, you can get started by learning how to develop for Web 3, this article can get you started.
For non-developers, you can be part of this evolution by learning how the blockchain works. I believe we would need designers, product managers, etc to understand how Web 3 works so we can start rolling out amazing products.

I do hope this article was informative. Do feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn if you want to have an interesting discussion around this topic.

WEB 3 / Blockchain — More Than Just The New Shiny Kid On The Block was originally published in The Andela Way on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.