Product Leader We Admire: Avani Arora
We frequently profile Product Leaders We Admire to inspire you and your team.?This month, we are excited to introduce you to Avani Arora.?
Avani Arora has recently grown in her role at Russell Reynolds Associates as Global Head of L&S strategy, Operations & Products. Avani has been an active participant and valued contributor to our?Product Leader Peer Group.
Here is our Q&A with Avani:
1. Favorite?product?book and/or podcast:
The Lean Startup (Eric Ries)?- read it awhile back, but?this book inspired me to take an entrepreneurial approach to building products and services even though much of my career has been in mature companies. What I’ve gained most from this experience is the importance of focusing on the process of learning and gathering insights quickly about what really drives value. People many find this process uncomfortable because it requires constant pivots in thinking, reflection, and being honest about what doesn’t work. To me, this discovery is energizing!?
2.?Favorite quote:
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.” – John Assraaf.
This is true for me both professionally and personally. I’ve moved around a lot and seen many cultures – I’ve had to adapt many times! This has helped me take on a wide range of responsibilities and see things from many angles. That being said, understanding your comfort zone is important – that is, as an individual being self-aware of your comfort zone and pushing yourself out of it. Also, professionally, thinking about what the comfort zone is for others helps frame change in a way that maintains their openness to it, and then deliberately taking that into account when implementing changes helps things stick longer term.
3. Favorite?product?launch you have been part of:
I drove three “first of their kind” launches in the last few years here at RRA- so it is hard to pick a favorite! It has been extremely rewarding to transform ideas into what are now platforms to better serve our clients, grow our people and innovate around ways our company can achieve its mission and purpose.