Being an effective product leader is not easy: It requires embracing people’s ideas as well as saying no, being neither too accommodating, nor too assertive. This talk discusses two common but ineffective leadership styles, feature broker and product dictator, and shares techniques for developing a balanced, successful leadership approach. For more information, please refer to: https://www.romanpichler.com/blog/be-a-balanced-product-leader-not-a-feature-broker-or-product-dictator/

1. Roman Pichler
romanpichler.com

2. What is Product Leadership?
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3. 3 © 2018 Pichler Consulting Limited
Stakeholders
Leader
Followers
Influence
Shared Goal
Collaboration
Product Success
Product Person
Development Team

4. A Product Leadership Continuum
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5. 5 © 2018 Pichler Consulting Limited
Others know best, and I facilitate I know best and I decide
Leadership Continuum
Feature Broker Product Dictator
Balanced
Product Leader
• Limited authority,
focus on tactics
• Limited knowledge and
skills
• Imposter syndrome,
people pleaser
• Most senior person,
founder or boss
• Only person with the
relevant knowledge
• Perfectionist, control
freak
Empower Yourself Empower Others
Risk of creating a product with
weak value prop and poor UX,
design by committee
Risk of making wrong decisions,
lack of buy-in, unhealthy work
environment

6. Leading Through Shared Goals
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7. 7 © 2018 Pichler Consulting Limited
Product
Goal
Sprint Goal
Vision
Ultimate purpose, positive change,
brief statement or slogan
Value proposition and business
benefits, captured in the product
strategy
Benefit of a major release, product
version, stated on the product
roadmap
Benefit of a sprint, shown on the
sprint backlog
User and
Business Goals
Visionary
Strategic
Tactical
~5 years
Product life
cycle stage
2-6 months
1-4 weeks

8. Collaboration and Leadership
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9. 9 © 2018 Pichler Consulting Limited
Scrum MasterDevelopment Team
Product Person
Trust and
Respect
Product Leadership
Process & People
Leadership
Design & Technology
Leadership
• Process and method coaching
• Collaboration catalyst
• Organisational change
• UX design
• Development incl.
architecture and Q&A
• Self-organisation
• Vision, product strategy and roadmap
• Product backlog prioritisation
• Stakeholder management
• User research
• Sprint goal selection
• Product backlog refinement
Shared Product
Responsibilities

10. Power Sources for Product People
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11. 11 © 2018 Pichler Consulting Limited
Referent
Power
Expert
Power
Management
Support
Empowered
Product Leader
Vision
Empathy &
kindness
Mindfulness
Transparency
Respect
Humbleness
Patience
Product strategy
& KPIs
Product roadmapping
Business modelling
Market & user
research
Product backlog management
Effective product
management org
Authority to make
strategic product
decisions
Empowered to say no

12. Summary
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13. 13 © 2018 Pichler Consulting Limited
There is no one right way to lead others.
Leadership starts with yourself. Make regular
reflection part of your life.
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”
Oscar Wilde

14. You can find more information at:
romanpichler.com
Thank You for Listening
Please send questions & feedback to:
info@romanpichler.com
@romanpichler