How to maximize your executive presence with your leadership team
Strategies for using your voice strategically as a leader.
First, a reminder to always experiment.
Last week, I hosted a Product Leader Breakfast in Berlin. Though I’d been successfully running these in NYC for 6+ months, I had no idea if the idea would travel well. Would people be interested? Would the authentic vibe persist? Could I squat in a German cafe and run a mini event? It was a good chance to test the product-market-fit I’ve found with my partner Prerna in NYC. So I decided to give it a go. Plus, I love an experiment.
I was relieved when all registered guests arrived punctually1. I was thrilled to host 6 local, seasoned product leaders at a literal round table2 to chat product things3. We had a mix of representation - product people from big tech to growth companies to freelancers. Over coffee and pastries, I asked product leaders based in Berlin to share what was on their minds these days.
One question had the group passionate:
How do you make your presence felt as a leader in your company?
The group lit up with ideas, supporting the product leader that prompted the question. I loved the conversation so much that I wanted to share some of the best tips from the group out more widely. Because while we were discussing the role of product, everything below is widely applicable beyond our role.
Executive presence is important no matter where you go.
Be a broken record.
I’ve written about communication strategy, particularly internal comms, because it’s one of the main challenges many of my clients face. As a PM, I believe communication skills are the most important skills you can have. I believe influencing up and negotiating around you are the keys to actually getting things done - more than the technical and design challenges you might face in building products.
So the advice to “be a broken record” was incredibly in line with what I’ve seen work first hand and what I coach my clients to do. Like a marketing / ad campaign, customers don’t see something once and convert. They usually need to see something over and over again to get the concept drilled into their head [insert better stat that I could not locate while writing this article :P]. Coming from big, loud, obnoxious USA4, I felt that that strategy was very, well .. American. So it was really interesting to see how a very international group in a very international city apply the same strategy.
Bottom line: Don’t count on saying something once and getting your message across. Be a broken record.
Pick the right medium.
Different mediums resonate with different people. Different industries, functions, humans prefer different ways of communicating. Pro Tip: Tell your coworkers what you like via an Operating Manual.
Aside from saying your message over and over again, consider the different mediums you’ll use to communicate with your leaders. Aside from traditional channels, like email and slack, consider more human tools like audio notes and video.
Audio notes were polarizing. I’m personally a big fan. I love the intonation I can bring to my message. And I love that most platforms transcribe audio notes now so that when I receive one, I can read it if I’m not able to listen.5 Folks in the group were mixed. Some found audio notes absolutely daunting. Others, especially those who use them in their personal lives, were big fans as well.
Short videos - like Loom - were positively received and happen to be my favorite tool. I send videos to people I’ve just connected with or when I need to explain a document I’ve shared. It helps remind people of the human I am behind the work. Amongst our group, no one was against video messages!
Regardless of what medium you do choose, if you’re testing something new and you’re not sure how it will land, make sure to frame it up as experimental with your audience. It softens the discomfort someone might feel with a new medium. And take the opportunity to ask for feedback when you’re trying something new.
Make it human.
Finally, and maybe obviously, be a human. Because we don’t have as many passive interactions like we did pre-pandemic, we lose the ability to showcase our personality, our flaws, our humanness when we communicate remotely.
Product leaders at the breakfast suggested not being too polished, sharing first drafts and invitations to co-create with leaders. You don’t have all the answers and neither do they. Invite them into your work in thoughtful ways.
Be a human.
Often you’ll find that some of these strategies work better with some leaders than others.
Be open to being wrong.
And see what new ahas you unlock in the failures. 💫
Hi - I’m Jori and I’m a Product Coach. Here’s how to work with me ↩️
I work with Product Leaders and their teams to unlock their biggest career moments. If you’re looking for support - drop me a note, I’d love to connect. 🤝
I co-host Product Leadership Breakfast NYC, a monthly product breakfast series to bring together curated groups of PM leaders together to connect and share insights over casual breakfast. If you live in NYC or find yourself passing through, join us! ☕
How German.
Couldn’t have asked for a better location - https://blumental-berlin.de/
product things tend to be = what are you building, how are you handling X situation, how has AI impacted your work, etc.
A verified stereotype.
WhatsApp what’s taking so long?!
Among more, I love hearing that no one was against getting a video message! So interesting and helpful. Thanks Jori!