product MANAGEMENT
There are discussions going on if the Product Manager is really the CEO of his product, a “mini” CEO, or however you might phrase it. I have a clear opinion on that, yes, a PM is the CEO of the product, and I wrote about it in some other stories in here. I am practising Product Management for more than 20 years, and for me there’s zero doubt about this topic. If you disagree with this point of view, please consider if it is because you have another perception of what management means to you. Let me go into some aspects.
Perception 1:
CEO’s can tell other people what they should do or not do
There are CEO’s with a clear “tell” overweight in their leadership style. However, great CEO’s understand the “listen” aspect just as good, they apply one or the other when appropriate. Nothing else I would expect from a product manager. When you are moving in the market, talking to customers, your personal “listen” side is what counts. Or when you have meetings with the development team, when they give you insights into technical subjects, listen carefully to understand what it is about. At times when you must raise your voice in the organisation you are working for, you should do it and tell other people your opinion, regardless of the hierarchy, simply because of your position demanding that you mirror the voice of the market. Only in bad organisations, it might lead to the undesired effect, that your word as a product manager might fall between chairs. A good organisation will listen to your advice, otherwise, what’s the purpose of not listening to the market voice, except ignorance?
Perception 2:
CEO´s stand on top, a PM is rather part of a team
Because the CEO stands on top does not mean that he is not a part of a team. It might be different teams than yours, of course, but a CEO who would try doing everything alone would quickly disappear into burnout. Everybody in an organisation has a somehow unique role, the CEO is certainly the most visible one (only surpassed by the concierge). However, as a PM, you are as visible for the team you are working with as the CEO might be. Think about that, a 9 feet tall person in 90 feet distance appears to the watcher being as tall as a 6 feet person at 60 feet. Within your team, as PM you have the unique role defining the product, the vision, implement a business plan, or work on some other great topics which are leading the company in the right direction. Your team will hang on your lips when you talk about your market insights and your ideas about how to improve further.
Perception 3:
If the CEO calls, everybody is coming
CEO’s have the power of direct leadership, that’s a fact, so like mentioned above, if they use their “tell” side, people will follow. Yes, a CEO will sometimes make decisions, where others must follow — if they agree with the decision or not. However, how often do CEO’s use their power that way? It’s business, not military. Business is always made between people. The real leadership is always a kind of indirect leadership, the way to make people following what they should do best for the organisation. If you are successful as a PM without the force of authority in your title, the even better you are as a manager in the true sense of what it means to manage people.
