Leadership can be difficult to understand, to measure and to carry out, and too often the term ‘leader’ is used for someone who manages a group but doesn’t necessarily lead. Furthermore, what constitutes effective leadership differs greatly among cultures, industries and professions.
So how do you know if you are leading effectively?
Guest post by Jesse Nieminen
We’re living in an age where many industries are facing big changes. To thrive, or even survive, most companies need to find ways to innovate.
Yet, most companies fail to do that.
For example, according to McKinsey, more than 80% of executives think that their current business models are at risk and consider innovation to be very important for the future of their organization. However, only 6% of the said executives are actually satisfied with their innovation performance.
You have created the vision for your products; you’ve built trust among your teams; you’re working hard to motivate team members to do great things; and you’re working to develop your teams with insight and direction. The final step in my 5 Factors methodology is to act decisively. As the product leader you need to get things moving; you own the success of your products.
How will acting decisively change the game for your products?
Another key element of a successful product management organization is creating trust with your teams, the teams you work with to build your products. Creating relationships of trust sets a foundation for the work you and your teams will need to build great products.
Why is building trust so important?
One of the key elements of a successful product management organization is creating the vision for your products—the ‘why’ that drives their purchase and the factors that make them successful in their markets. When you nail the product vision, you’re well on your way to business success.
So how do you create product vision?
Whether you are a small startup or an international corporation, HR management and organization presents an equally important matter. Choosing a proper team structure for your hierarchy and management isn’t as simple as it seems.
There are numerous factors to consider from your own number of employees and managers to the amount of projects and clients you are tackling. Without getting into the details of HR management, let’s take a look at some of the most popular and widely-known solutions for team structure and management.
Guest article by Glain Roberts-McCabe
“She was completely whole and yet never fully complete” ―Maquita Donyel Irvin
One day, I was having lunch with John, a successful CEO of a national retailer. Like most executives in highly pressured sectors, John feels like he spends most of his time firefighting.
John, who’s arguably one of the most optimistic people I know, was understandably tired.
Titles have a way of morphing over time. In some cases, they improve and become more popular. At times, because of the acts of certain, often high-profile, individuals, titles can lose value.
When you think about the title ‘product manager’ how does it make you feel? Does it still hold the value it had when you first started learning about it? What about when you took your first job as a product manager—do you feel the same today as you did in those first days and weeks?
Guest post by John Izzo, PhD and Jeff Vanderwielen PhD
Today’s product managers wear many hats and are required to be motivators, counsellors, mentors, and enforcers. It’s difficult to balance competing job priorities and some leaders do a great job of truly engaging with their teams. And many others, despite their best efforts, manage to motivate the top performers but can’t seem to get the whole team rowing in the same direction. We found that to create a common goal, it’s vital to ramp up your purpose as an organization. Here, we will share from our book The Purpose Revolution: How Leaders Create Engagement and Competitive Advantage in an Age of Social Good how to develop and polish your team purpose statement.
Business owners and entrepreneurs are often asked this leader vs. manager question regarding their management style. For many, these two words are synonymous; both are important for motivating people to work towards a common goal. Each is different, yet both roles have their place in a well-functioning organization.
Lead on Purpose 