What Empowered Actually Looks Like

April 24, 2023

Happy Monday everyone! There is a lot going on in the Cleveland Product scene, so let’s get to it!

Article of the Week

As Product leaders - and leaders in general - we often talk of empowering our teams to perform awesome work. But what does empowerment actually look like? What behaviors do empowered teams exhibit? What behaviors do their leaders exhibit that give them the freedom and autonomy to build and deliver awesome products? And how do leaders hold empowered teams accountable to the outcomes they are to deliver?

Teresa Torres and Hope Gurion of Product Talk discussed this topic recently, and I found a couple of things interesting in their talk. First, they discussed having clarity of purpose, where the team understands why they are working on what they are working on. This responsibility falls on senior leaders to have a clear vision and strategy so the teams understand their role. Second, it's not all-or-nothing. While empowered teams have the freedom and autonomy to chart their course, there are times where they have to do work to keep the lights on. Third, leaders need to help their teams feel accountability to the mission, not just feel accountable to their boss. That's when the real magic happens.

Read more on Product Talk's recent interview below.

Recent Events

Last week we had a great in-person social mashup with the UX Akron and Cleveland Accessibility groups. We talked about how we ended up in our careers, and what the future of the roles hold. Join us next time, won't you?

Product Jobs of the Week

The Product roles at Cleveland companies keep rolling in!

Upcoming Events

  • April 27th - Product Lean Coffee

About the Author

My name is Shawn Leitner. I started the Cleveland Product networking group in 2017, which helps to connect Product professionals around Cleveland, providing them with a forum to network, learn, and share stories. For my day job, I'm a Product Consultant & Coach for Pathfinder Product and help clients implement strong Product practices so they can create products that their teams love building and their customers love using. Connect with me on LinkedIn or feel free to attend one of my events either virtually or in-person. Always up for meeting for a cup of coffee also!