Introduction

When I became Director of Operations (DO) after being a Product Manager, I expected smooth sailing. From my point of view, I was going to be planning network nights, reviewing products, and natively posting content—things I genuinely enjoyed.

But as it turns out, that was only a small part of what this role actually is. I had no idea just how much I was about to learn—and how much I would need to shift my mindset to keep up. In this blog, I want to talk about change, clarity, and what it really means to adjust your point of view as DO.

Change is Your Friend

Growing up, I hated change. It felt like it always came out of nowhere, and it usually felt personal. That feeling followed me for a long time—until last year, when something clicked for me in class.

Out of everything in life, change is the one thing you can count on. It’s constant. It doesn’t slow down for anyone. But once you stop fighting it and start leaning into it, that’s when the real growth happens.

If you’re curious about how to embrace that kind of agility, I wrote another blog about staying flexible—definitely check it out!

Giving Feedback That Actually Works

One of my main tasks as DO, along with the rest of the Executive Team (ET), was reviewing and giving feedback on content for our calendar. Sounds simple, right? But I quickly realized something: just because something makes sense in your head doesn’t mean it’s coming across that way to someone else.

We couldn’t just give people the answers. Our job was to guide them toward the changes we wanted—through questions. And honestly, that was hard. Sometimes our feedback was too vague, which led to revisions that missed the mark and wasted everyone’s time.

Eventually, we learned to tighten up our feedback. Instead of general thoughts, we started shortening our feedback to specific things, like formatting, text, and placement. When your feedback is direct and clear, the process becomes so much smoother and more productive.

Taking the High Road (Even When You Don’t Want To)

I’ll admit it—when things go wrong and they’re out of my control, my first instinct used to be: blame someone else. I start to ask/tell myself things that sound like this:

• “How is this still not right?”
  
  
• “If I had done it, this wouldn’t have happened.”
  
  
• “This is common sense—why isn’t it clicking?”
  
  

That kind of thinking wasn’t helping anyone.

What helped me break out of that mindset was learning how to shift from ego to leadership. Here are a few practices that really helped me:

• “Of course.” 
  
  • Start saying this when something goes sideways. It removes the emotion and gives you a chance to look at things from a leadership lens.
    
    • Example: “Of course this didn’t work—they misunderstood the feedback. How can I make it clearer next time?”
• “The moment you start judging is the moment you stop leading.”
  
  • This rough line from Reality-Based Leadership by Cy Wakeman really stuck with me. Judgment doesn’t solve anything—it just creates stress and tension. When you notice yourself judging, stop. Fast.
• It’s not personal.
  
  • Someone didn’t wave back? Read your Teams message? It’s probably not about you. Most of the time, people are dealing with their own stuff. Taking a step back and giving the benefit of the doubt has saved me a lot of unnecessary stress.

Wrapping It Up

I came into this role thinking I was just going to be doing what I already knew how to do. What I didn’t expect were the lifelong lessons I’d walk away with. Leading isn’t just about managing tasks—it’s about managing your mindset.

If you’re stepping into a leadership position, just know: it’s okay to not have it all figured out. Growth happens in the uncomfortable moments. And the best thing you can do? Be open to it. 

If this blog resonated with you, check out my other blogs about being a product manager (PM) and staying agile ! Don't forget to share !