561: Navigating the leap to product leadership – with Rebecca Arora
Product Mastery Now for Product Managers, Leaders, and Innovators · 2025-10-13 · 37 min
Episode notes
Practical strategies for building influence and confidence from a Product VP coach Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Arora, founder of Access Alignment, executive coach, and author of Somatic Intelligence , about making the transition from successful product manager or director to VP of Product and beyond. Rebecca shares practical strategies for this professional transition, including the need to shift from domain expertise to people leadership, the importance of relationship mapping, communication skills, and strategic thinking. She offers advice on handling stress, leveraging self-awareness, and using coaching techniques to empower teams. We also explore how to set yourself up for success in the first 90 days of a new leadership role. Introduction Let's say you’re a product manager, you have done outstanding work, and you're getting promoted to Product VP. Congratulations! The excitement lasts about 24 hours before reality hits. Suddenly you're responsible for product strategy, team leadership, board presentations, and influencing executives.