Ken Norton
Executive coach for product leaders. Previously a partner at GV (Google Ventures) and a product manager at Google. Writes at Bring the Donuts, including a standing essential-reading list for product managers.
Ken Norton did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Their wordsThis helped the leader shift from wanting to change Jacob-something they couldn't control-to taking responsibility for changing the relationship-something they could.
↗Designing Better Working Relationshipsbringthedonuts.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordsThis design work is never done, and one of the goals of this intentional conversation is to open the door to revisiting this conversation as our individual needs and the needs of the relationship change.
↗Designing Better Working Relationshipsbringthedonuts.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 7 months earlier
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Their wordsCompanies should embrace multitrack job ladders for product managers who prefer product leadership to people management.
- 7 months earlier
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Their wordsthe word "listen" doesn't appear anywhere in the essay, and listening is arguably a product manager's most important tool.
↗A How to Hire a Product Manager Retrospectivebringthedonuts.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsBut the human stuff that actually matters most in PM'ing is the least likely to be automated by AI.
↗A How to Hire a Product Manager Retrospectivebringthedonuts.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsAdvice is prone to hindsight, survivorship, and confirmation biases.
↗A How to Hire a Product Manager Retrospectivebringthedonuts.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 5 weeks earlier
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Our reading
Playfulness and humor in leadership build authenticity and credibility rather than undermine it.
Their wordsPlayfulness and humor won't erode your credibility. They amplify your presence. They make you real. And people follow real.
↗Why Great Leaders Embrace Humor and Playfulnessbringthedonuts.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Our reading
How people feel at work determines how well they work, and humor is one lever on that feeling.
Their wordsHumor changes how people feel at work. And how people feel at work changes how they work.
↗Why Great Leaders Embrace Humor and Playfulnessbringthedonuts.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsNobody wants to follow a joyless leader. If your presence signals, "Everything is fine. I've got this all figured out. Please don't show me anything messy," your team will take the hint.
↗Why Great Leaders Embrace Humor and Playfulnessbringthedonuts.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 4 weeks earlier
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Their wordsProduct's unique identity in the C-suite-at the intersection of everything-often comes at the expense of belonging to anything.
↗Product Leadership is Lonelybringthedonuts.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordsLoneliness is an inherited biological adaptation signal that puts us into a state of threat.
↗Product Leadership is Lonelybringthedonuts.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 8 days earlier
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Their wordsWhen we resist not knowing, we often leap to conclusions, make decisions without all of the information, or simply guess. Of course, that might make it even more likely that we're wrong, the very thing our subconscious is trying to avoid. Needing to be right comes at the expense of curiosity.
↗The Power of Not Knowingbringthedonuts.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordsLeadership isn't about always having the answer and always being right. It's about being present, deeply curious, and authentic.
↗The Power of Not Knowingbringthedonuts.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 2 months earlier
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Their wordsYou'll learn more about becoming a better storyteller from reading to your children than from any book with a title like "How To Deliver a TED Talk."
↗Storytelling for Product Leadersbringthedonuts.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsSteve Jobs was an incredible storyteller because he was immersed in the liberal arts, not because he went to corporate media training.
↗Storytelling for Product Leadersbringthedonuts.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsOne myth of good storytelling is that it requires dreaming up something entirely new from scratch. That's not necessary.
↗Storytelling for Product Leadersbringthedonuts.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 20 months earlier
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Our reading
Anxiety and worry arise from dwelling on an imagined future rather than the present moment.
Their wordsMost of our fears begin to subside when we just allow ourselves to be in this moment, as anxiety and worry stem from a preoccupation with an anticipated or envisioned future.
↗The Drama Triangle – The Roles We Play in Conflictbringthedonuts.com
- 7 years earlier
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Their wordsMost of the other traits on my list – such as kindness, fairness, or being a good friend – all stem from empathy.
↗Empathy and Product Managementbringthedonuts.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Their wordsBut empathy is also essential to leading a team, especially for PMs who tend to have responsibility without authority and must earn the respect and support of others.
↗Empathy and Product Managementbringthedonuts.com 2nd of 2 in this piece