Have you ever been in a situation where you see an opportunity for strategic impact, but aren’t sure how to approach it as the “new person”?
Today, I want to share a real coaching story that might resonate with many of you facing similar challenges.
The delicate dance of strategic influence
Recently, one of my clients (let’s call her Hannah) came to me with a classic product leadership challenge.
Three weeks into her new role, she identified that her tribe’s strategy lacked depth and proper stakeholder alignment—it had been created in isolation by the existing tribe lead.
Hannah found herself at a crossroads many of us recognise: she saw the problem clearly but worried about overstepping boundaries as a newcomer.
The question became not just “how do we fix the strategy?” but “how do I build influence without ruffling feathers?”
The smart approach: Building from below
Instead of directly challenging the existing strategy (which could backfire), together we developed a different approach:
- Focus on her direct sphere of influence - She’s concentrating on developing robust strategies for the squads she directly oversees first.
- Upskill while delivering - For the most important of the squads, she’s guiding a Senior PM she manages through a strategy sprint—simultaneously developing the strategy and building her PM’s leadership capabilities.
- Demonstrate strategic thinking - With another squad, she’s drafting strategy herself while gathering critical stakeholder input through 1:1 conversations.
What I love about the approach we landed on is that she’s playing the long game.
By building solid, collaborative strategies at the squad level, she’s creating tangible evidence of her strategic thinking while earning trust across the organisation.
The long-term impact: From squad to tribe
As Hannah’s squad-level strategies begin to show results, she’ll build what I call “strategic credibility”—proof that her approach works. This evidence becomes her ticket to influence at the tribe level.
When her leadership sees the success from her squads compared to others, questions will naturally arise about what’s working differently.
That’s her moment to showcase how thoughtful strategy development creates alignment and focus.
Rather than pushing for control, she’ll likely find herself pulled into strategic discussions as others recognise her expertise.
The key is patience—letting her work speak for itself before seeking to expand her strategic influence.
The lesson for all product leaders
Hannah’s story highlights something I see often with successful product leaders: sometimes the most effective strategy isn’t to tackle the big problems head-on, but to methodically build credibility through smaller wins.
Strategic influence isn’t just about having the right ideas—it’s about understanding the organisational context and bringing people along with you.
In time, as Hannah’s team-level strategies demonstrate value, she’ll likely find herself naturally invited to contribute to or own the broader strategy.
Questions to ask yourself:
Where in your organisation do you see strategic gaps that you’d like to address?
What smaller, more immediate areas could you impact to demonstrate your strategic thinking?
Who are the key stakeholders you need to bring along on your journey?
I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences with similar situations. Has anyone faced a comparable challenge in your product career?
How did you handle it?
Until next week,
James
P.S. If you’re navigating a tricky strategic situation in your product role and would like some tailored advice, reply to this email. I might feature your question (anonymously, of course) in an upcoming newsletter.