CPO Matthew Zammit points towards planning as ‘key to success’ when moving into a leadership role

Ferry Chief Product Officer (CPO) Matthew Zammit on Tuesday explained that planning is integral when making the “huge shift” to a leadership role in professional life.

“You’re no longer just responsible for your own work, as now you’re responsible for guiding and directing others towards achieving company goals,” he said.

Speaking from his own experience, he said that as he started getting more senior roles at different companies, the mentoring that was previously provided “vanishes”, and he needed to “take control” of what he does.

He touched on a recent conversation he had with someone who had just started as a Head of Product for the first time. He said that she was “struggling to understand what was expected of her”, and what she should be focusing on in her new role.

Mr Zammit remarked that this is a “common experience” for new leaders. “Suddenly, you’re expected to be proactive and take initiative without anyone guiding you. You’re paid to move the company forward in the best way you see fit. It can be a daunting prospect, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to make a difference,” he said.

He noted that the “key to success” is to have a plan early on. “You need a clear strategy that shows where you want to take the organisation and the step you’ll take to get there,” he continued.

That strategy is then presented to the CEO, whereby business leaders have to outline that this is what they think should be done, asking them whether they should agree and if they can go ahead with the plan.

“Get that strategy approved, repeat it often, and work hard to achieve it with your team,” Mr Zammit concluded.

Mr Zammit is CPO at Ferry, a B2C mobile app designed for the short-term leasing of electric vehicles. He is also Founder and Fractional CPO at product consulting firm Know Your Social and Lead Mentor at venture capital firm Techstars. He has more than 15 years of experience in product, marketing, and mentoring, and has helped various teams and start-ups with different aspects related to product.

He holds a Master of Science in Informatics and Web Accessibility and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Computing, both from University of Malta, as well as a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute. He also completed a six-month online digital marketing and future leadership course developed with Google.