Here's how you can develop your leadership skills as a beginner in product innovation.

Look beyond your immediate field for inspiration by studying innovations and trends in other industries. Consider how these can be applied to your work to promote creativity and fresh perspectives. Encourage your team to experiment, supporting pilot projects and prototypes to explore new ideas and approaches.

What are you personally passionate about? That's a great place to start. I let my passions give me direction and used that to develop innovative products that are aligned with both my personal and professional core values. A great "why" is going to be the core selling point and value proposition for the products you create.

In my early days leading a product innovation team, curiosity was my compass. We questioned every aspect of our flagship project, which led to a groundbreaking redesign that significantly improved user engagement. By fostering a culture of inquiry, we didn't just tweak features; we anticipated market shifts and user needs. Embrace curiosity to not only enhance your products but to also shape yourself as a visionary leader. Each question you ask paves the way for innovative solutions and sets the foundation for robust leadership in the ever-evolving landscape of product development.

You can read books on leadership, innovation, and product development. Also, articles and case studies can provide practical insights and strategies. or join professional associations related to product management and innovation.

In the fast-paced world of product innovation, staying updated is crucial. When I started in this field, I made it a point to learn continuously—not just through courses, but by engaging with peers, mentors, and especially customers. This habit helped me lead my team effectively, as we were always armed with the latest insights and technologies. It's essential to cultivate this ongoing learning culture within your team, ensuring that everyone is equipped to navigate changes and implement the most effective strategies. This commitment to growth will not only advance your products but also solidify your leadership in the industry.

Consistently driving your vision forward means weaving its essence into every conversation, whether it's during team meetings, in emails, or casual chats. By consistently referencing the core elements of your vision, you should ensure that everyone stays aligned and focused on your shared goals.

Here are a few tips that I find useful in managing risk during the product innovation process. First, you must set a constraint that will only provide an avenue to innovate and experiment. The constraint is a budget of failure, or in a better tone, a budget of learning. Some of the experimentation ideas that you'll try will consist of risks. The risk is based on the known that your ecosystem knows. At the same time, we don't know what we don't know. Having the $ budget for failure or a killswitch for experimentation is a method that I recommend. For example, say that you like to implement new funnel that will improve conversion rate for certain segment, the budget that you can set is the experimentation impact to the total conversion.

I am a strong believer that empathy should be emphasized first as the aspiring product leader and beyond. Put your ear first to hear a lot of feedback and insight from the team. Remember to make a note of every feedback that we capture, because this feedback truly matters to us. And you can give instant feedback during the discussion or you delay it until you find the right answer. After you hear a lot, make notes a lot then try to elaborate on your thoughts and you will produce called "direction". If the direction will be continuous, we call it, policy.