It was the late 1990s and I was interviewing for a new position at a hot software company in San Francisco. The hiring manager was trying to convince me that I was perfect for the product management job, but I was not so sure. After sensing my hesitation he said something I will never forget:
You would be awesome for this role. Product managers are the engine that drive companies. But I don’t think that you know it yet, so you better go figure out what you want to do with your career.
You may be thinking — the greatest piece of leadership advice was someone telling me to take a hike and figure out my life? Yep, that was it.
More important, I actually listened. And in the process I discovered that he was right. I didn’t yet understand that product managers truly do manage the future of the companies they work at, but I soon would. That path led me to where I am today — product builder and co-founder and CEO of Aha!
The advice was transformative in another way. Once I was in a leadership role, I knew I had to pass the message along. I speak with a lot of people every month about where they are headed and my advice is always the same — it’s up to you to decide what you are aiming for.
The advice has informed how I approach the responsibility of my role. I have learned that my most important task in my job is to mentor. I listen and help people discover what is most important to them. I do the same thing whether I am speaking with a friend who has asked for career advice or working with the amazing team at Aha!
I care that the team at Aha! is working toward shared goals and fulfilling our vision. And of course I want us to be wildly successful. But I care even more that each person is doing what they truly want to do. Life is short and everyone deserves to be happy at work and to become better at that work with each passing day.
The hiring manager who shared that good advice with me cared enough to point me along the way. And I try to continue to pass that message along — from my interactions with others to the topics I write about.
Paying it forward is another important part of my role as CEO of Aha! — and the idea that you should constantly evaluate where you are headed and why is central to that work. Any advice worth heeding forces you to ask hard questions of yourself: Where am I going and why? The answers lead the way.
Originally published on the Aha! blog