Quiet Leadership Speaks Loudly

April 1, 2024

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

Article of the Week

Many times we Product people feel that we need to conform to a certain style to be effective. Maybe because our role is influential. Maybe because of social media. But rest assured that is not the case. Remember, there is no single path to getting into Product. We come from different educational and cultural backgrounds. We have different ways of communicating and building relationships. So learn to leverage your skills and abilities to become the best Product leader you can.

Even if you are Quiet Leader.

The below article about Quiet Leadership by Clement Kao of Product Teacher provides some great perspective for how quiet leaders can leverage their skills to lead and influence effectively. Here are my three takeaways:

  1. Deliver Consistent, High-Quality Results - The best way to earn credibility and political capital is to deliver quality work over and over. This will display your wide array of skills and elevate your brand. You can then leverage that to strengthen relationships and influence the direction of your product.

  2. Think Two Levels Up - Product people serve a unique role. We have to consistently deliver day-to-day, while also exploring long-term opportunities for our product. Use those skills - along with superior storytelling - to inform our leaders of what is happening day-to-day and what we see as opportunities long-term. They will then look to you for guidance when making decisions in the future.

  3. Empower Others to Shine - Nobody can do it alone. You depend on your engineering, architecture, design, and marketing partners to help you deliver the best experience for your customers. Give them the credit they deserve, publicly. They will welcome the chance to work with you in the future.

If you are quiet leader and find yourself in an influential Product role, embrace your style and use it to your advantage. Read on to learn more!

Product Jobs of the Week

The Product roles at Cleveland companies keep rolling in!

Upcoming Events

  • April 10th AMA with Lisa Schneider - Go To Market

  • April 19th Product Lean Coffee - Solutioning @ Rising Star Lakewood

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!