On Leadership & Gratitude

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gratitude, leadership, Thanksgiving

In keeping with tradition (OK I only just started this last year, but it is becoming tradition), it seems appropriate to take time to look at Thanksgiving through the lens of leadership. It is a time of giving thanks and acknowledging those around us who have contributed to our success … be it family, friends or colleagues.

And if you are wondering whether or not a correlation exists between Gratitude and Leadership, read this article from Forbes … About Thanksgiving: Gratitude, Leadership, and Performance

When people feel truly appreciated for their contributions, results and actions, they give their best, and higher levels of performance are unleashed.

The role of leaders in creating such a culture is fundamental … The impact of gratitude on the leader and on others around him/her can be extraordinary.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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No Great Strategy Was Born Without Careful Thought

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budget, intentional, planning, preparation, strategic, strategy

Nothing strikes at the heart of frustrations carried by many Product Management leaders like the topic of strategic planning.  I would wager that even just reading that first sentence caught your attention and brings certain emotions to the surface … for good, or for bad.  So especially at this time of year, reflecting on some insights with respect to the topic can be helpful.

No great strategy was born without careful thought. That’s why the process of planning a strategy itself is an important vehicle for setting priorities, making investment decisions, and laying out growth plans. But for many companies, the activity has devolved into either an over-explained budget or just bad amateur theater – lots of costumes in the form of analysis, charts, and presentations – but with very little meaningful substance that can be translated into action. As a result, many strategic plans end up as shelf decorations or hard-to-find files in crowded hard drives.

Operating From The Inside-Out

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.

Most days, when chaos is not breaking loose and I’m not on conference calls throughout, my commute to and from work generally consists of music. Any kind will do, based on my mood of course, but for me the William Congreve quote certainly holds true.  Although recently I stumbled across the TED app for my phone, and now I will occasionally find myself looking for inspiration from some of the great leadership minds of our day.  This particular one caught my attention the other day: Simon Sinek:How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Difference Between a Product Manager and a Product Owner

First, let me just acknowledge that I am not the first to deal with this question … nor do I believe I will be the last to post about it.  But it continues to be a relevant topic within the realm of Product Management AND Agile discussions, and I am in the middle of working with teams to clarify these roles right now.  So I will do my part to share why I believe both are needed and necessary.

To be clear, I am a firm believer in the underlying principles behind the Agile manifesto and the benefits that the approach brings in more swiftly adjusting to the changing needs of the market, the customer, or competition.  But I am also a firm believer that in order to keep the organization “strategically-driven” vs. becoming “needs-driven”, having good product management practices in place is necessary.