Leading Without Authority

Practical lessons on leading without formal authority. Drawing on his career from PM to CPO, Ed Biden explains how product managers and product leaders can drive strategy, execution, and trust when they don’t manage teams directly.

This session is especially relevant for product managers, senior PMs, and product leaders working in cross‑functional environments. Viewers will learn concrete techniques to influence decisions, build credibility, and earn trust with engineers, designers, and senior stakeholders — even in high‑uncertainty settings.


Key takeaways

Authority follows effective leadership, not job titles.
Clear strategy and structured thinking are the foundation of influence.
Credibility comes from generating your own insights, not just repeating others.
Execution and follow‑through are essential to earning trust.
Reducing ambiguity accelerates decision‑making and momentum.
Strong relationships enable tough conversations and faster alignment.
Calm, professional behaviour helps teams navigate uncertainty.


Chapters

00:00 Intro – Leading without authority for product managers
02:30 Why PMs must lead without formal power
07:30 Career lessons: from Director to CPO through leadership
12:00 Gaining credibility through data, users, and insights
18:00 Structuring arguments to influence decisions
24:00 Accountability, decisions, and follow‑through
31:00 Trust, commitments, and handling things going wrong
37:00 Relationships, allies, and influencing stakeholders
45:00 Calm confidence, tone, and leading through uncertainty


Links

Hustle Badger website: https://www.hustlebadger.com

Ed Biden LinkedIn:   / edbiden  
Hustle Badger LinkedIn:   / hustle-badger  


Hashtags

#ProductManagement #ProductLeadership #LeadingWithoutAuthority #ProductManagers #PMLeadership #StakeholderManagement #CrossFunctionalTeams #ProductStrategy #ProductExecution #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #ProductCareers #CPO #ProductThinking #ProductCulture #LeadershipSkills #TechLeadership #HustleBadger