I remember reading ‘Trillion Dollar Coach’ and being fascinated by Bill Campbell and how he coached some of the world’s greatest leaders.
Something I realised later in my career in product is that continuous learning allows us as leaders to both take and receive meaningful insights from those we connect with and respect in our companies and private lives. There is not simply coaching from the top down but the right process involves a sort of recycling of understanding. Coaching for me is an essential component of any leadership journey in both giving AND receiving.
The Dual Role of a Product Leader
As a product leader, you are both a mentor and a mentee. You guide your team through the complexities of product development, strategy, and execution, while also seeking out advice and feedback to enhance your leadership skills. Balancing these roles requires a mindset that values continuous learning and recognises that even leaders have areas for growth. Contrary to what many people thought about Steve Jobs, he often walked for hours with Bill Campbell who provide Jobs with regular support, insights and mentorship. Even the greatest of the greats benefitted from coaching! So how do you straddle coaching your team and then also finding ways to ‘get coached’?
Coaching as a Product Leader
1. Cultivating Empathy and Understanding
Effective coaching begins with empathy. Understanding the unique challenges and aspirations of each team member enables you to tailor your coaching approach. For example, a junior product manager might need guidance on prioritising features, while a more experienced colleague may benefit from insights into stakeholder management. 1-2-1’s are often the chance you’ll get to provide impact here. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s about work. Always remember that often those you coach won’t give two hoots about their KPIs once they’ve moved on but they WILL remember the times you laughed about situations or even worked through some tough times. Make it personal! But also understand how they’re getting on with their colleagues and teams. Do they get the needs of the business? And what about the future? Keep those you work with inspired and curious.
2. Providing Constructive Feedback
Feedback is a critical tool for coaching. However, it must be constructive and aimed at helping the individual grow rather than criticising them. Effective feedback focuses on behaviours and outcomes, rather than personal attributes, and is delivered in a way that motivates the individual to improve. ‘Radical Candor’, the feedback framework built by Kim Scott can help in working out how to provide constructive feedback. But in essence it really does boil down to common sense. If you bullshit your team and tell them they’re fantastic when they’re not delivering then of course you’re not helping them. It is also about finding the right balance. There are also areas in which you can help provide good framing for your feedback.
Use the “SBI” (Situation-Behaviour-Impact) model to structure feedback. Describe the Situation, the specific Behaviour observed, and the Impact it had. For instance, instead of saying, “You’re not a good communicator,” you might say, “In yesterday’s meeting (Situation), I noticed you didn’t clarify the project scope (Behaviour), which led to some confusion among the team (Impact). Let’s work on improving clarity in our communications.”
3. Encouraging Autonomy and Ownership
Coaching is not about micromanaging; it’s about empowering your team to take ownership of their projects and decisions. This means trusting them to make choices and supporting them as they learn from their experiences, even if it involves making mistakes. There really is nothing worse than micromanagement and leaders that micromanage often do so out of the fear of their own inadequacies or lack of understanding.
Take a measure of your team – are they nailing it? Could they do with a side project or take some time off? By letting your rockstars self-manage you provide a wonderful sense of pride in them owning their projects. The knock on effect on the team, morale and company is huge.
Being Coached as a Product Leader
No one knows it all. As I’ve said, even the biggest leaders have coaches! The moment you also realise that you cannot know it all and that curiosity can be extremely rewarding is the moment when you really start understanding the nature of coach and be coached. There a few ways to make this super easy.
1. Embracing Vulnerability
Being open to coaching requires vulnerability. It means acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers and that there’s always room for improvement. This openness not only enhances your own growth but also sets a powerful example for your team.
Learn to enjoy feedback regularly from peers, mentors, and even your team members. Creating a feedback loop helps you identify blind spots and areas where you can improve. Platforms like 360-degree feedback surveys can be instrumental in gathering diverse perspectives on your leadership style. Something important to note – there are those that provide feedback that is useful but not delivered well. Try to move beyond the delivery mechanic and try to understand what the feedback is trying to tell you. Not everyone is well versed in the way to deliver feedback!
2. Finding the Right Coach
Not all coaches are created equal. It’s essential to find someone who understands your role, challenges, and aspirations. This could be a more experienced product leader, an executive coach, or even a peer with whom you can exchange insights. We’re all very different, have certain values and principles, not all of these align with our peers. Finding someone you respect is an important consideration but similarly don’t put them on a pedestal! In truth good coaches are rare. They need to have a deep deep understanding of the human psyche and be able to move between different environments – one minute a casual walk and talk or coffee and the next in a high stakes smart board meeting.
3. Committing to Continuous Learning
Leadership is a journey, not a destination. As a product leader, it’s crucial to stay updated on industry trends, new methodologies, and emerging technologies. This requires a commitment to continuous learning, whether through formal education, attending industry conferences, or engaging with thought leaders.
Read books, face your fears head on and try to gain a deeper understanding of yourself too!
Great leaders are not born; they are made through a commitment to growth—both in themselves and in those they lead.
In closing, coaching and being coached have been the most rewarding (and surprising) aspect of my product career. I once thought 20 years ago that an exit would be the be all and end all but that’s not the case. Building relationships with humans and letting their impact settle on me and hopefully some of that on them has been the biggest motivator so far.