In this testimonial, Brendan, a newly promoted director and manager of managers, reflects on his leadership journey and the impact of Lynne Levy’s coaching program. He emphasizes his desire to build a lasting legacy focused on how team members feel, rather than product outcomes, and outlines his ambition to rise to VP and EVP levels to prevent others from experiencing the low points he once felt. Brendan describes his transition from product owner to product manager, highlighting the need for new skills in roadmap and people management. A pivotal moment in the coaching was embracing his authentic self as a gay man, which Lynne encouraged, allowing him to bring his whole identity to work. He notes that leadership has no prescribed path, requiring the assembly of various tools and the cultivation of culture and one‑on‑one relationships. Lynne’s online mini‑lessons (15‑20 minutes) serve as micro‑learning resources that Brendan uses to quickly upskill peers and direct reports. The cohort’s peer interaction further reinforced his growth. Finally, he advises professionals to view themselves as a "company of one," investing in personal development to stay resilient amid tech industry volatility.
Chapters
The biggest part is I look at the fact of being a manager of managers now and being in this director level. I want to understand what is my legacy going to be. And I think to myself, I want to create a department and I want to create, you know, a team where everybody feels as if they're valued. Because I always think to myself, at the end of the day, nobody's going to remember the work that you put out. Nobody's going to remember the product you put out. The only thing that they're going to remember in the end is how do they feel? How did that person feel in the end? And for me, that's what becomes so important. And that really, again, is what is my driving force. And I want to be a VP and I want to be an EVP and I want to get as high up there because I have felt what it feels like to feel like shit, basically. And I don't ever want someone ever to feel that way again.
Where were you before you decided to work with Lynne?
So when I first joined the program, I had just transitioned from a product owner into a product manager position. And so I was really looking for a skill set that would help me be able to manage my product roadmap, manage the individuals that now are reporting to me. Again, really step up to that next level of leadership that I hadn't been before in the role. So that's what I was looking for and that's what I was joining for.
Were there some fears that you had to overcome to join?
Yeah, I would say it was one of the first meetings that Lynne Levy and I had, and we were there in the room and we were talking about the fact of, okay, you know, tell us about, you know, your authentic self. And for me, a big part of being my authentic self is the fact that, you know, I am a gay man. And in corporate America, that was something that for me just didn't really mesh. And I always felt like I had to kind of keep myself hidden. But within the first meeting, Lynne's like, no, that's who you are. And that's literally how we began the Who I Am. And ever since owning that, again, every interaction that I've had has just been truly who I am. So you get me. 100% every single time.
So tell us a little bit about, as a leader, how do you motivate, inspire your team?
So I think the one thing that I've learned again from this course and from the materials that were given is the fact that unfortunately, um, there is no prescribed journey to leadership. So I right now have managers that are underneath me in my department and no one has really taught them how to be a leader. And again, there are so many So many sort of tools that you have to put together in order to be able to, to become a leader. And through that journey of using the tools and seeing what works best, you're going to get that output. And again, everything is about creating that culture and creating those opportunities with the other individual, because in the end, we're all humans, but it's going to be the culture and the team that you create and those one-on-one relationships that you build with everybody that's going to take your brand, your department, and your yourself to that next level.
Talk about how the diverse resources that Lynne offers helped you even level up in your career.
So there are so many lessons that Lynne has gone over, and each of those lessons are available online. So again, I have never lost my access to the material that Lynne has had online. And there's all these mini lessons that can take only about maybe 15 to 20 minutes. And once you start to absorb that material, you can use that again with with my peers. I use it sometimes, and I also use it with those people that I direct in the fact that it will only take me 20 minutes in a one-on-one to upskill them and to give them those resources that will again help them have those positive interactions with everybody that won't sabotage the strategy. It's always like you have to wait for the sun, moon, and the stars to align, and that's when you're going to be ready to finally get your leadership position, or that's when you're going to finally level up. And in reality, that's not the truth. You have to yourself own it and you have to get the skill sets that are going to be able to help you get to that place. And again, that's what I gained from Lynne and that's what I gained from the course was that skill set, not only from the material that Lynne was able to provide, but also from just my interaction with all of my peers within the group and the cohort.
What advice would you give the people here? The risk of not doing it?
So I say this to even my directs today. Unfortunately, the, the environment we're in within tech, tomorrow we could be laid off. And so you really have to think of yourself as a company of one. And are you willing to invest in that company of one? And that's exactly what this course gives you. It gives you the opportunity to start investing immediately. And I was kind of shocked because again, I went to the course and day one, I didn't know what to expect, but even on day one, we began with like the tell me about yourself. So it's like you hit the ground running. And every single one of those courses you take and every single piece of material that you get is going to help you become that better company of one. And it's all going to fit together into one giant puzzle one day, and it's going to click to you, and you're like, oh my gosh, I've done it.
