Not just operators

To make a real impact in your work, and on the world, you need more than one type of person. That sounds obvious, given our understanding of the importance of diversity, but we need more than differing perspectives, we also need differing personalities, and there is a simple way to think about it that can help you build a successful environment around you.

The moment I began to understand how I fit into these three simple types, it gave me an entirely new perspective on my work.

Shreyas Doshi, a product management leader who cut his teeth at Yahoo!, Google, and Twitter, describes three types of product leaders (though I believe that this applies much more broadly):

1. The operator
2. The craftsperson
3. The visionary

In his words, operators are “excellent at scaling teams, cross-org alignment, unblocking execution.” They’re great at communication. They’re not great at original insights.

Craftspeople are excellent at “defining products and strategy, mentoring [others].” They’re not great at original insights, and they struggle with large orgs and the associated burdens.

Visionaries are excellent at “big-picture thinking, inventing what’s next.” They see what others can’t. They fall short on people issues and scaling without help.

Think about your team. Are you working with people like these? Which one are you? Which parts feel like they fit just right, and which parts are less accurate, for you? Are you a mix of more than one? In what ratio?

The fact is, you need all three of these. Without infusion of vision, you’ll race toward the middle. Without craftspeople, you’ll accumulate product and technical debt until you can’t move forward. And without operators, you’ll fail to execute, especially as the organization and product grows larger and more complex.

My realization

What I came to realize is that I’m the visionary, full stop. My strengths are in observing, perceiving patterns, intuiting solutions, and thinking “big” thoughts. My mind is automatically attracted to concepts and possibilities. I have to exert real energy to think in terms of small details.

Knowing this, I can consider two things:

1. How can I shape my work so that I spend most of my time doing the things I’m naturally good at?
2. How can I surround myself with the other types of people, so that we can win together?

These are obviously very personal questions, and I don’t have all the answers. In my coaching practice, I’m very often able to tap into my listening and pattern-matching skills, and I hired a coach because I need someone to be my “operator” and hold me accountable on tactics. Those are two ways that knowing this has helped me create a successful environment for myself.

Think about these questions for yourself. Where can you lean into your innate superpowers? How can you empower others to fill your natural gaps?

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