Welcome back to Day 3 of my 100 Days Writing Challenge! If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve talked about dealing with rejection (Day 1) and the basics of product and project management (Day 2). Today, I want to shift the focus slightly and dive into a topic that hits close to home for me: leadership and decision-making.
You see, for the longest time, I didn’t realize that leadership wasn’t just about titles or positions. It’s about making tough decisions, especially when the path forward isn’t clear. When I think back to 2020, when I first had the idea to build Envitab, I didn’t realize at the time how much leadership would be required of me—even though it was just an idea back then.
Why Decision-Making is Crucial in Leadership
From the moment I started thinking seriously about Envitab, I was faced with decisions. Should I focus on this project? Do I need to learn new skills or find the right people to help me build this? How do I even begin turning a concept into a reality?
Looking back, I realize now that making those small decisions, even when I wasn’t 100% sure of the outcome, was an act of leadership. I had to take ownership and be confident in the direction I was heading, even when it felt like a shot in the dark.
That’s the thing about leadership—it’s not always about having all the answers. It’s about making decisions based on the best information you have at the time and trusting that you can adjust along the way.
Navigating Uncertainty
It’s one thing to make decisions when everything is clear and laid out in front of you. It’s another thing entirely to make decisions when uncertainty is all around you. Trust me, Envitab was (and still is) a prime example of navigating uncertainty.
When I first started on the project, I didn’t have all the resources or a big team behind me. But I knew I had to start somewhere. So I took a leap, made the decision to keep moving forward, and trusted that with every step, I’d gain more clarity. And I did! Now, we’re working on the product in 2024, and it feels surreal to think about how far we’ve come despite all the unknowns in the beginning.
Leadership, in many ways, is about being comfortable with uncertainty. You won’t always know if the decision you’re making is the right one, but you still have to make it and trust that you’ll be able to be flexible if necessary.
Balancing Risk and Reward
One of the biggest challenges as a leader, especially in business, is learning how to balance risk and reward. I remember sitting down in July 2022 and creating the first business model for Envitab. I was using the LeanStack app, which helped me get my thoughts organized, but it also brought up more questions. How much risk was I willing to take? Should I invest more time and resources into this? What if it failed?
In the end, I made the decision to keep pushing forward, even knowing that there were risks involved. I believed in the vision of Envitab and knew that the potential rewards outweighed the risks. And that’s a crucial part of leadership—being able to take calculated risks and having the confidence to see them through.
Leading Cross-Functional Teams with Confidence
Another key part of leadership is learning how to work with and lead cross-functional teams. I didn’t expect to be in a position where I was managing teams when I first started as a technical writer in 2023, but things quickly shifted. I found myself having to communicate with developers, designers, and business leaders, making sure everyone was aligned on the goals and tasks at hand.
What I realized through all of this is that leadership is transferable. The skills I learned from product and project management—clear communication, keeping teams on track, and making decisions quickly—translated directly into leadership. And that’s the beautiful thing about these roles: even if you’re starting in one area, the experience and skills you gain will serve you in others.
You don’t need a specific title to be a leader. You just need the ability to step up, make decisions, and keep things moving, even when there’s uncertainty.
How Do Product and Project Management Work Together?
This brings me to an important point: how product and project management work hand in hand. When managing a product, you're thinking long-term—about the vision, features, and user needs. When you're managing a project, you're in the trenches, focused on timelines, resources, and deliverables.
But here’s the thing: the skills are transferable. One person can effectively function across both roles. Just like I’ve been balancing both product and project management for Envitab, you can too. The ability to communicate with teams, manage deadlines, and maintain a clear vision is essential in both areas. In fact, having experience in one often makes you better at the other.
When you’re a product manager, you have to make sure the vision of the product stays true while still working with the project manager to ensure timelines are met. But when you’re playing both roles, like I have, you get to balance that broader vision with the practical day-to-day tasks. It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.
Personal Growth and Leadership
Leadership is also about personal growth. As I reflect on my journey, I can see how much I’ve grown—both in my confidence as a leader and my ability to make decisions that impact not just me but the teams and people I work with.
Taking on more responsibility, learning to navigate uncertainty, and trusting my instincts have all been part of that growth. I’m still learning every day, and I think that’s a huge part of what makes leadership so exciting—it’s a constant journey of growth and discovery.
Final Thoughts
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about making decisions, navigating uncertainty, and trusting that you can figure it out as you go. It’s about balancing risk and reward and knowing that sometimes you’ll need to pivot. It’s about leading your team, whether cross-functional or not, with confidence and clarity.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about your ability to lead or make decisions, I encourage you to reflect on the moments where you’ve already done so. You’re likely already further along the path of leadership than you realize.
This is Day 3 of my 100 Days Writing Challenge, and I’m learning every day. What are you learning about leadership? Drop a comment below, and let’s keep this conversation going.
Until next time,
Ekemini
Top comments (3)
Read through every line and it just keeps getting interesting. 👌
Thank you, Daniel. 😎
So True:
Taking on more responsibilities, learning to navigate uncertainty, being flexible and trusting your instinct that you can figure it out are some of the important steps to develop leadership.
We should learn to trust ourselves more and know we have the ability to do more than we think we can.
Great article my friend. 🦾