A good product, whether it’s your favorite music app, cool kitchen gadget or the device you’re reading this article on, doesn’t happen by accident. It results from unique vision, comprehensive strategy, and powerful execution. That’s why I love my job. Companies rely on product leaders and our teams to play an essential role in shaping experiences for millions of people. That responsibility has never been more critical as businesses in the hyper-connected world strive harder than ever to differentiate themselves through innovation and quality.
The role is not for the faint of heart. You must juggle multiple responsibilities, from shepherding a vision to managing diverse stakeholders internally and externally to overseeing the product execution. You have to work well with others across the organization – engineers, marketers, sales reps and others who are key to your mission but probably don’t report to you.
You need to understand customer needs, trends, business objectives, technical realities and a host of other factors to deliver products that hit the mark in constantly shifting markets. And it sure helps if you’re the type who relishes pressure.
With over 15 years of experience in the industry, I’ve considered ways to navigate these challenges. I’ve realized that many of the lessons I’ve learned, though developed in the crucible of product leadership, may be meaningful for business leaders of all stripes.
So, here are five leadership hacks that I have found invaluable in fostering success at fast-growing companies, whether you’re a product chief or any other executive:
Stay Laser-Focused on the Big Picture, Always
It’s all-too-common that leaders get caught up in internal concerns and lose sight of the larger, externally focused business priorities that should be driving everything.
Do not let this happen. Leaders need to be ruthless in their prioritization of what really matters. I recommend choosing no more than three prime concerns and making sure you’re spending at least 80 percent of your time on those.
Examples of ones I’ve set through the years include:
- Gaining customer insights from all angles to decide correct product direction for the next year
- Engaging with the finance team to deeply evaluate myriad determinants of product success (or lack thereof) in the market.
- Studying trends that could influence our offerings in the future.
Never Waste a Crisis
The most memorable growth moments in my career have come when I’ve been faced with extremely difficult circumstances and, rather than mentally run, dug deep inside myself to find the energy to search for solutions.
These moments can be useful, because they can be catalysts for change. An important new product has run into a development delay? Here’s what to think: “Yeah, this is hard. And sure, I’m stressed to the max about this. But I am going to embrace the challenge. I will approach this from a standpoint of how we can solve this, learn from it, and emerge better from the experience?”
Humans have a formidable ability to manually override their natural inclinations and put any situation in a new light. So when a problem crops up, stay hyper-positive and zero in on fixes and lessons learned.
Hire the Person, Not the Role
It’s true that domain experience can mean a new hire can hit the ground running, but there are so many other qualities that can be crucial too.
That’s why I now place a lesser emphasis on domain expertise and more on people who seem to possess strong unteachable skills, such as natural leadership abilities or an innovative spirit.
My advice, hire for the person you need in 18 months, not merely the one who appears to fit the job profile today.
Work Well With Others
Regardless of reporting structure, everyone needs to work toward the same goals. I have found it helpful to be a “builder” – someone with a huge stake in the company’s success – rather than just a product chief. That mindset enables me to think more macro than micro: I’m not just my title (a product officer) executing a roadmap but someone who spends time with customers, gets in the weeds with other teams like sales and marketing, and does anything else possible to work together on what’s vital to all of us.
Embrace Your Inner Curious George
As Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
The power of intense curiosity is not just a trait but a superpower in company leaders. It fuels innovation, drives connection, and propels growth.
For instance, I am relentlessly curious about the people who buy our products. Who are they? What are their problems? How can we better connect with them\? How can we create magical experiences for them? And who might we not be reaching and why? These are the kinds of questions a leader must never stop asking.
You can learn something from just about everyone you work with, even the ones you found challenging and difficult.
As these five leadership lessons show, product leaders and everyone else have power to overcome inevitable obstacles and crush it for their high-growth companies. None of this is easy, but it’s doable.
