What are you invested in?
I’m in the process of selling my car, and making a 20-year old truck my dad gave me my primary vehicle. The car was paid off, reliable, comfortable, and I really enjoyed driving it. So why get rid of it? Because I realized I didn’t want to invest my money in it any longer. I’m […]
Pick it up!
“Don’t just walk by that trash, pick it up!” As a kid, my dad would yell at me for walking past a piece of trash on the ground in the yard or the house. I’d argue that it wasn’t my trash, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t being mean, he was teaching me to take […]
Principles vs Rules
Certifications are an information-dense method of getting up to speed on the work we do as product managers. But they also can mislead us into thinking that this set of rules or process we learn are a recipe for success. We can forget to think about them as principles to guide, and we fail to […]
Reflecting On Our Past
Venerating the past can cause us to ignore the painful mistakes and prevent us from reevaluating the wisdom of past decisions. Demonizing the past can cause us to ignore the positive steps made and prevent us from understanding the wisdom of past decisions. As a leader, we must work to celebrate the good from our […]
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 […]