This is a Terrible Time to be an Average Technology Leader

Focus on these 3 skills that will set you apart from the pack

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” — Pat Summitt

I love reading and following inspirational leaders, especially women. A few years back, my husband suggested I read one of Pat Summitt’s books.

Summitt was the winningest college basketball coach in American history (men or women) at the time of her retirement in 2012. She led the Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball team to eight national titles and 1,098 wins in 38 seasons. She died in 2016, leaving behind a legacy of leadership that continues to inspire.

I’m not a basketball fan (something about the squeaking of sneakers on the glossy wooden court), but Summitt’s stories and words helped me see new opportunities in my approach to working with product teams.

For the record, Pat probably didn’t invent this phrase. It may have been Coach John Wooden, although some cite President Harry Truman. All I could find from Truman was this similar thought:

“I said that an expert was a fella who was afraid to learn anything new because then he wouldn’t be an expert anymore.”
— Harry S. Truman

The key is to stay humble and keep learning. Nobody has all the answers. Don’t waste time acting like you do.