Focus on these 3 skills that will set you apart from the pack
I love reading and following inspirational leaders, especially women. A few years back, my husband suggested I read one of Pat Summitt's books.
Summitt was the winningest college basketball coach in American history (men or women) at the time of her retirement in 2012. She led the Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball team to eight national titles and 1,098 wins in 38 seasons. She died in 2016, leaving behind a legacy of leadership that continues to inspire.
I'm not a basketball fan (something about the squeaking of sneakers on the glossy wooden court), but Summitt's stories and words helped me see new opportunities in my approach to working with product teams.
For the record, Pat probably didn't invent this phrase. It may have been Coach John Wooden, although some cite President Harry Truman. All I could find from Truman was this similar thought:
“I said that an expert was a fella who was afraid to learn anything new because then he wouldn't be an expert anymore.”
— Harry S. Truman
The key is to stay humble and keep learning. Nobody has all the answers. Don't waste time acting like you do.
1. Learning Matters: Develop a Growth Mindset
Mindset is critical to success in all kinds of work, but especially knowledge work. Technology and innovation teams are in a constant state of change and uncertainty has become the norm.
As a leader, make sure the people you manage understand what is expected of them and support them with the time and tools to do the work well. This probably means learning some new ways of working and new leadership behaviors yourself!
As leaders, we need to prepare to be wrong and know when to walk away from an idea or a product that has served its purpose.
There is a reason why the startup ethos is to fail early and often. Failure is part of the process precisely so that people do not mentally shut down when some of their ideas don't work. Disengaged or overly cautious teams are not productive.
A growth mindset supports the culture of experimentation you want in your technology organization. Help teams get obsessed with customer research and build failure into the process — and your timelines and budgets.
Then get out of their way. Empowered teams perform better.
The best leaders understand that. Let the talented people you have hired solve the problems you hired them to solve. Agree on a cadence for sharing data and insights so you can support them and adjust strategy when necessary.
2. Words Matter: Language & Communication Skills in the ChatGPT Era
As a technology leader in a VUCA world, effective communication skills are essential to your success. While technical expertise is obviously still important, your ability to use language and choose the right words in a given scenario can significantly affect the impact of your message.
Some say that storytelling is overrated, but the ability to craft compelling narratives, convey complex ideas with clarity, and inspire your team with your words can set you apart in the competitive tech industry.
We use language all day long in our work. Think before you speak or dash off a quick email or Slack message. And although ChatGPT is exceptionally good at putting together a paragraph or an outline, don't rely on generic language to communicate. Make sure you're providing context and using language to simplify, not complicate.
Honing your language skills helps you build stronger relationships with your team, your peers, and your stakeholders. This brings us to #3.
3. Relationships Matter: EQ & Emotional Intelligence
The key to successful digital innovation is and always has been humans.
Emotional intelligence, human beings, and relationships are at the heart of every technology business.
The number one non-technical skill strong leaders hire for is emotional intelligence. Self-awareness and understanding our own motivations and patterns help us collaborate better with others.
This is where networking is key. Seek out peers at all levels inside and outside your company, and make sure you're not just connecting with people who think like you. Getting out of your echo chamber will help you see other perspectives, build empathy, and lead to improved relationships in your own workplace.
Focus on these three areas of development, and you will make your mark.
Maura Charles is the founder of Keep it Human. As a Product Leadership Coach and Consultant, she is on a mission to help teams and organizations embrace human skills like communication and emotional intelligence in their ways of working.
She brings 25 years of experience as an editor, product manager, and digital business leader to bear on the challenges of building human-centered high-performing tech teams.
If you'd like to develop more human business and tech teams that hum together to drive results, check out Keep it Human and follow Maura Charles on LinkedIn.