Are You a Product Manager Selecting a New Boss? Here’s How to Assess Product Leaders
In any role, your manager has the ability to make or break your experience. But perhaps this is especially the case for product managers because your job involves so much cross-functional collaboration and influencing without authority, so even more than other roles, you need a leader who will support and empower you.
Whether you’re interviewing for a new product job or your company is hiring a product leader and you’ve been asked to participate in the interview process, you will occasionally find yourself in the position of choosing your new boss.
In my work as a product leadership coach, I often see both sides of this equation—the product managers who are struggling with their leader or the leaders who are trying to get better at their job. I’ve distilled these observations into traits or qualities you can observe during a job interview, onboarding (either yours or the product leader’s), and once you’ve actually worked with a leader for a while.
By the way, I recently ran an informal LinkedIn poll to see how individual contributor product managers feel about their leaders. The area where the majority (43% of 175 respondents) of PMs would like to see their leaders improve? In offering professional growth and development opportunities.
For the product managers out there, I hope this information will help you evaluate a potential (or current) leader to find the best possible manager for you. And for any product leaders reading this, perhaps it will give you some ideas about areas where you might want to focus your own professional development efforts.
Part 1: Traits That You Can Observe in a Job Interview
Look out for these qualities, either when you’re interviewing for a new job or interviewing a potential product leader for your organization. In the interest of keeping this blog post brief (and encouraging you to tailor the interview process to the situation), I’m not providing specific interview questions here. I’d encourage you to use the traits I’m outlining below (and any others you’ve identified) to come up with your own set of questions.
Cares about the product or purpose: The leader demonstrates passion and deep understanding of the product or the company's mission, aligning their actions with the broader company vision.
Transparent about plans: The leader shares insights on future strategies and projects, including inclusive decision-making processes, addressing common challenges like shifting priorities and strategy clarity.
Encourages idea sharing: The leader asks for your ideas and opinions, showing an interest in your creative thinking and fostering an inclusive decision-making environment.
Energizes the team: The leader brings a positive and engaging energy to the interview, indicative of their ability to communicate effectively and empower the team.
Gives credit appropriately: The leader speaks positively about their team's achievements and individual contributions, reflecting a culture of recognition and appreciation.
Praises publicly, criticizes privately: The leader discusses past situations indicating their approach to feedback and recognition, aligning with a culture of empowerment and trust.
Respects personal time: The leader (when applicable) schedules the interview at a convenient time, showing respect for your schedule and work-life balance.
Traits That You Can Observe During Onboarding
Look out for these qualities either during your onboarding period (when starting a new role) or when your new leader is onboarding at your company.
Cares about people: The leader takes the time to get to know you, showing interest in your professional and personal growth, and fostering a culture of empowerment and trust.
Interest in life outside of work: The leader asks about your hobbies or life outside of work, demonstrating they value work-life balance and inclusivity.
Sets and respects boundaries: The leader clearly communicates work hours, meeting times, and respects your time, reflecting a culture that values employee well-being.
Provides clarity in conversations: When you’re joining a new company, the leader ensures that each training or onboarding session is clear and understandable, indicative of effective communication skills.
Hands-on involvement: When you’re joining a new company, the leader is actively involved in your onboarding process, showing commitment to your smooth integration and the importance of effective leadership in shaping culture.
Encourages professional development: The leader highlights opportunities for growth and learning, reinforcing the culture of recognition and learning.
Champions user-centric design: The leader emphasizes the importance of user needs and experiences, reflecting a commitment to a customer-focused culture.
Observable After Working for an Extended Period
This final set of characteristics will likely not be obvious during the interview or onboarding process, but you’ll become aware of them once you’ve worked with a leader for a more extended period of time. If you’ve already been in a role with the same leader for quite some time, it could be a valuable exercise to consider how they’re measuring up against these traits. And if you observe your leader struggling in any of these areas, it could be a good idea to point it out when they ask you for feedback about their work. It’s often lonely at the top and product leaders rarely get actionable feedback from their direct reports, so make sure you’re prepared when the opportunity presents itself.
Cares about the process: The leader shows consistent commitment to refining and improving work processes, aligning with the company's overall goals and culture.
Seeks culture feedback: The leader regularly asks for your input on the company culture and implements changes based on feedback, demonstrating a leadership style that values employee perspectives.
Acts on feedback: The leader demonstrates a pattern of acting on the feedback they receive, showing their commitment to continuous improvement and a positive culture.
Shares business success: The leader’s involvement in profit-sharing, bonuses, or acknowledgements is linked to business successes, indicative of a culture that values and recognizes employee contributions.
Excellent coaching skills: The leader consistently helps you find your own solutions and develop your problem-solving skills, fostering a culture of empowerment and professional growth.
Maintains high ethical standards: The leader exhibits ethical behavior consistently, which is fundamental to a positive and trust-based company culture.
Balances strategic and operational focus: The leader demonstrates their ability to manage both long-term goals and day-to-day tasks, reflective of effective leadership in a strong product culture.
Promotes cross-functional collaboration: The leader facilitates and encourages ongoing teamwork across different departments, emphasizing the value of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.
Practices active listening: The leader regularly pays attention to and acts on the ideas and concerns raised by team members, a key aspect of effective communication and leadership.
Adaptable to change: The leader shows resilience and flexibility in response to long-term challenges or changes in the market, essential for a dynamic and evolving product culture.
Navigating the waters of a new product management role is about more than just what's in the job description. It's also about the leadership you'll be working under. By looking for these green flags, you can better gauge the work environment and leadership style you're stepping into.
Remember, a great product management career isn't just built on skills and projects; it's also shaped by the people who lead us and the culture they foster.
Looking for even more ways to help your product leaders become more effective? My book, STRONG Product People, offers practical tips for product leaders to grow their skill set. Maybe you’d like to gift a copy to someone ;-)