10x Your Leadership Without Authority

Happy Sunday Product Folks!



Do you know the most important skill that product managers need to learn from day one and keep improving throughout their careers?

Leading without authority - Especially when working with developers early on.

As you move up to become a product leader, this skill becomes even more crucial, extending to the entire management and exec team.

In our last class, we emphasize the importance of product strategy, starting with understanding and breaking down company goals. Through those discussions, I've seen valuable insights and struggles from the class to take their leadership to the next level.

We’re often challenged by other leaders in the organization on the two following angles:

• Why should product leaders be involved in defining business goals?

• What leverage do they have in this domain?

To answer them, we need to be more strategic. So let’s start with the Strategy vs. Execution paradox to understand the internal struggle facing every aspiring PM leader.

Let’s dive in.

In Case You Missed Them

👉️ Linkedin Post on AI is Eating Product Management Quickly (Link)
👉️ 3 Pitfalls in Product Leader Interviews (Link)
👉️ Mirroring is your PM secret weapon (Link)

As always PMs start their journey by focusing on day-to-day operation excellence and as they grow, they often need to balance their strategic vision for the organization with their operational details for execution.

Leaders need to be able to zoom in and out between the macro-level strategic perspective and the micro-level operational execution, which can sometimes create tension between focusing on the big picture and getting lost in the details.

But for now, it’s time to rise to the big-picture vision journey

1- Company goals are your goals

• Understand this clearly.
  
  Company goals must be embraced by all product team members
  
  As a leader if you do not know this. You’re in trouble.
  
  Just striving on the execution side won't be enough; true success requires collective effort, aligning under the same vision and strategy (of the company).
  
  - Is it increase sales, profits, internationalization, competitive threat, become number 1 in XYZ…?
  
  To ensure sustainable success, product leaders must actively engage in understanding and driving discussions around company goals.
  
  It's not just about meeting product metrics but driving overall business success.
  
  As a product leader, taking the reins in these discussions isn't just an option—it's a necessity for your own personal and team success

So try to get engaged in company goals discussion as early as possible:

✅ Use your CEO goals (And give your opinion)
✅ Ask 5 Whys in top-down meetings

2- You’re doing it naturally already

• As a product manager, you already have the skills needed to drive discussions on company goals. You have what it takes to excel in this role because it builds upon the PM foundation but that needs to be done at a higher level.
  
  Let's break down a few key tools and principles:

1. Facilitating Discussions:

   Just like you've helped developers find solutions by talking things through, you can do the same with company goals.
   You don't need to have all the answers. By asking good questions and encouraging discussion, you can help the team come up with solutions together. e.g., you might ask about the reasons behind a decision made by XYZ executives.
   

2. Seeing the Bigger Picture:
   You already understand how each feature adds to the product's value. Use this knowledge to see how the company makes money from your product features.
   Make sure your product roadmap matches the company's goals.
   

3. Leadership without Authority:
   Your skill in leading without authority helps guide the whole management team towards common goals. Whether it's in marketing, sales, or technology, your job as a product leader affects all parts of the company's product efforts.
   

✅ Keep coming back to the overall picture - Always!

3. Start with your mindset

• If you're new to this, here are some initial actions you can take:

  
  a) Adjust your mindset to get how all aspects of the company work together.
  
  Understand more than just the product; learn about the company's bigger goals too.
  Talk with your bosses to make sure everyone is on the same page about these goals.
  
  b) Explore other areas of the company. Learn about marketing strategies to attract new customers and understand the financial side from the CFO's point of view.
  
  Get to know the needs and operations of the Customer Success or Sales so you can support their needs in your product strategy.
  
  c) Make it a habit to see how everything fits together. If something doesn't make sense, don't be afraid to ask questions or speak up.
  
  By identifying gaps and offering collaborative solutions, you contribute to the overall success of the company.

  
  ✅ Go on your intranet or ask your boss’s boss and understand the overall business goals

  ✅ Start learning about adjacent products. There’s likely a bigger play from your CEO once all products are sold together.

By actively engaging with each department and fostering collaboration, you play a crucial role in elevating the company to new heights of achievement.

Until next time…

Key Takeaways

Get 1% Better Every Day. Execution Matters Most!