You're a mid-career product manager seeking leadership growth. What career paths should you consider?

One is never ready for leadership. I was working as a Senior PM in 2020. I was never prepared to be a product leader. Leading didn't come naturally to me. Suddenly I got an opportunity to lead a team of 3 PMs to launch a product at a startup. It was a great opportunity, but I lacked confidence. I took the plunge. Initial few days were very difficult. Practiced meditation and physical exercise. I kept myself away from all distractions and focused on work. Spoke to friends who were successful in leading teams to discuss when I was in difficult situations. After 3 years of people management, ultimately, I'm comfortable as a product leader. Hence, one just has to take a plunge. Everything will fall in place.

"Leading a Team" should not be a career progression goal. Leading just doesnot mean a few people rolling up to you. Leading a team is about showing direction to your team. "Am I ready to lead" is the first question someone should ask him/herself before launching them as a leader.

Leadership doesn't come naturally on a fine day ! You must constantly invest in yourself to look for those small nuggets of thankless and unnoticeable leadership opportunities. Don't do things to get noticed. If you do the right things, eventually the right people will notice. Focus on cultivating these important qualities that a good leader should have: 1. Acknowledge and appreciate good work 2. Actively listen 3. Showing commitment 4. Having a clear vision to Identify and invest in the future , whenever possible. 6. Acting with integrity - no matter what, the moral compass must guide. 7. Acting objectively - opinions and biases are anti-leadership. 8. Motivating others - leaders pull people out of misery and force them to deliver.

Beyond the article, consider the importance of cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decisions, and staying ahead of industry trends.

To attain leadership position in a Product Management career, one needs to possess both Hard Skills & Soft Skills. I am listing below a few of the Hard Skills & Soft Skills to successfully attain leadership positions in a Product Management career. Hard Skills:- 1. Be acquainted with Data, feedback, and research analytics 2. Defining Critical User Journeys (CUJs) and success metrics 3. Articulating Solution Options 4. Designing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) 5. Creating vision and roadmaps 6. Defining team quarterly OKRs Soft Skills:- 1. Relationship building with your immediate peers 2. Telling a product narrative 3. Incorporating feedback into work 4. Investing in team culture

Strategic focus isn’t just about making decisions. It’s about crafting a blueprint for the future. It involves analyzing critical factors, envisioning long-term outcomes, and navigating uncertainties with poise and precision. A strategic thinker can anticipate market shifts, identify emerging opportunities, and steer the product toward sustainable growth. Product managers who think strategically can envision future possibilities, identify opportunities, and navigate challenges with foresight and precision. This skill differentiates product managers from being mere product owners, as they chart the course for product growth and innovation.

Role: Moving into a strategic role such as a product strategy manager or director of product strategy. Skills: Deep understanding of market trends, competitive analysis, and long-term planning. Ability to develop and communicate a clear product vision. Considerations: Are you adept at thinking long-term and making data-driven decisions? Do you enjoy analyzing markets and forecasting trends?

Moving into a product strategy role means working closely with different teams, listening to customer feedback, staying updated on new tech, using data to make decisions, planning for risks, and creating flexible processes for future growth.

Business sense and strategic thinking: • You need to demonstrate your ability to think strategically and drive business impact. This means having a deep understanding of your product's customer benefits, being able to tie product metrics to business goals, and effectively communicating this to stakeholders. • You should also focus on creating efficient processes to free up time for more strategic decision-making.

As you progress in your career, your main focus will shift towards product positioning and strategy, particularly in developing roadmaps, goals, and KPIs. This alignment should be in sync with the overall business vision and OKRs.

It's a fast way to directly contribute to the success of your company. It's an accelerated way to build product management experience.

Role: Leading cross-functional initiatives, potentially as a Chief of Staff or in a similar role that requires working across departments. Skills: Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills. Ability to work effectively with different teams and departments. Considerations: Are you skilled at bridging gaps between different functions? Do you thrive in environments where you can drive complex, cross-departmental projects?

Leading cross-functional teams: • You should seek out opportunities to expand your leadership skills. This could involve taking on more cross-functional responsibilities, managing a team, or leading key initiatives. • Developing skills in areas like stakeholder management, feedback and delegation, and strategic thinking will be crucial.

As a product manager, you are already accustomed to collaborating with cross-functional teams. However, as you take on a leadership role, it is essential to engage with additional teams such as sales and customer support to incorporate their requirements and vision into your product roadmap. These teams play a crucial role in contributing to your professional growth.

In my opinion one thing to really up your game from mid level to senior leadership role is to go cross functional. With this you are able to ince your span of work. Understand business objectives at a broad level Interact with wider company individuals Correlate the business metrics with OKR As you do follow this path your thought process widens and your affability and behavioral skills improve which are essential to move up in ladder.

Role: Starting your own company or joining a startup in a leadership position. Skills: Risk-taking, innovation, and business development. Strong leadership and the ability to wear many hats. Considerations: Are you comfortable with the risks and uncertainties of entrepreneurship? Do you have a strong business idea or passion for innovation?

Product managers have all the tools to become great entrepreneurs, but starting a company is still a great way to become a more effective product leader. When PMs dive into entrepreneurship, they have to quickly shift gears and also wear sales, marketing, business operations, and customer success hats. PMs that especially spend more time on the development/technical side can greatly benefit from taking on these additional responsibilities to ramp up their cross functional stakeholder management, leadership, and strategy skills.

If you have a desire to pursue the path of becoming your own boss, you can choose to work independently. Many product professionals opt for this route after gaining the necessary exposure and experience. However, this decision should be made after carefully considering all relevant factors.

Role: Becoming a product management consultant, offering your expertise to various companies. Skills: Deep product management knowledge, strong communication, and client management skills. Considerations: Are you comfortable with the variability of consultancy work? Do you enjoy solving diverse problems for different clients?

As a Product Manager, there is a type of stage, when PM becomes as a Lead of the product or CPO. From this stage, the main perspective and the focus will be mainly directed on teaching and consulting what you have learnt as a PM, which is crucial for development and expanding the product team . Typically, it is a good measurement of how skilled you are in regards with Product Management and opens new strategical directions on your future improvement in your field.

For experienced product professionals, another career path to consider is consulting. This can involve working as a freelancer or with a consulting company, offering your expertise to businesses in need of your skills. Consulting engagements typically involve working with clients for a defined period of time. You can specialize in a particular industry based on your years of experience.

Role: Climbing the corporate ladder to become a VP of Product, Chief Product Officer, or another executive role. Skills: Extensive experience in product management, strategic thinking, and executive leadership. Considerations: Are you ready for the pressures and responsibilities of executive leadership? Do you have the skills and experience to influence company-wide decisions?

- End-to-end domain/tech knowledge - A vision to bring in an offering or identify an innovative opportunity, which is not existing currently, that would be game-changer for the market and organisation - Gain trust of the workforce that works for you, in terms of knowledge, management style and growth - Have a portfolio with growth/ Success story of some credible products with positive impact in the business - A good network is another key that could help - Few patents could be a good value add too

Self-Assessment: Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations. What do you enjoy most about product management? Where do you want to make an impact? Networking: Build relationships with mentors and leaders in your desired field. Seek advice and opportunities to grow your skills. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest trends in product management and leadership. Consider additional training, certifications, or courses to enhance your skills.

Continuous learning & personal growth: • Stay up-to-date on industry trends, seek out mentorship, and participate in leadership development programs. • Embracing feedback, learning from failures, and building resilience will help you navigate the challenges of a more senior role.