Eric Ries describes the idea of achieving failure in his book The Lean Startup as, “successfully executing a plan that leads nowhere”. As product leaders, we need to find ways to prove out that the plan we are executing on is leading us somewhere valuable, and be bold enough to accept that sometimes we’ll find …
Leadership
Do we need ambition?
Ambition is an interesting thing. Too much and we get what Wolsey, in Shakespeare’s “Henry VII” famously states, “Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition. By that sin fell the angels; how can man then, the image of his Maker, hope to win by it?’ Too little ambition and we risk a lackadaisical approach to …
Is it worth the risk?
If you treat risk as the enemy, you’ll achieve nothing as a leader and product manager. This is one of the most important lessons of the scientific method: if you cannot fail, you cannot learn. Eric Ries, The Lean Startup Failure, or at least the risk of failure, is how we learn. It’s how we …
A Failure To Manage?
A building that isn’t maintained, that’s allowed to deteriorate, will eventually fall apart. It can be a gradual process that we can ignore at first, but eventually, something catastrophic occurs. Maybe the roof collapses after years of neglect, or a wall gives in due to a small crack left unattended. But the result of failing …
Am I listening?
In a time of unrest, where each side has an opinion to share, it can be easy to forget the power of listening. Listening allows us to get a new perspective. Listening allows us to genuinely care for others. Listening allows us to be changed. Listening gives a voice to the unheard. Listening makes us …
Has your leadership changed?
In a recent BBC article, they outlined how certain leadership strengths don’t translate in a remote work environment, and how new leadership styles or strengths stand out when working remote. “In face-to-face interactions, most of us are very easily swayed by the power of personality,” says Purvanova. “Virtually, we are less swayed by someone’s personality …
Will you take responsibility?
I have sometimes complained about a micromanaging boss, but am I ready to accept the repercussions that come from being given the autonomy to lead and potentially fail? Thomas Ricks’ book The Generals examines this issue from the perspective of how leadership in the Army has changed since World War II. He outlines how George …
Investing in Leadership?
How are you investing in your leadership this week? John Maxwell puts it this way: Becoming a leader is a lot like investing successfully in the stock market. If your hope is to make a fortune in a day, you’re not going to be successful. There are no successful “day traders” in leadership development. What …
Are you ready?
A few weeks ago I came across this video about some “preppers” At first, they might seem over the top in their preparations. But what if their fears come true? Then we wouldn’t look at them as being crazy, but prepared. What if rather than what you feared coming true, what if what you hoped …
The Illusion of Control
We create detailed plans with dates and dependencies mapped out. We plan for risks and pad our estimates for the unknown. And each time we fail to accurately predict the future. We can’t help ourselves though. We’re so consumed with the illusion of control. We’ve convinced ourselves if we just go into more detail, get …