In this course, you will examine product leadership in complex organizations, with emphasis on alignment, difficult leadership moments, executive readiness, and expert perspectives. You will learn how product leaders coordinate across functions through planning, strategy, vision, mission, roadmap alignment, product culture, trust building, and work with sales, marketing, partners, and the C-suite. You will also explore difficult scenarios such as economic downturns, layoffs, product failure, and product sunsetting. The course then looks at career pathways for product managers, the emergence of the Chief Product Officer, differences between VP of Product and CPO roles, when a company needs a CPO, critical executive skills, and board interaction. Through exercises, role plays, knowledge checks, a final exam, and expert advice, you will practice reasoning through complex leadership situations.

Product Leadership in Complex Organizations

Product Leadership in Complex Organizations
This course is part of From Product Strategy to Product Leadership Specialization


Instructors: Laura Marino
Included with Learn more
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Drive cross-functional alignment through planning, trust, and stakeholder coordination.
Navigate downturns, layoffs, product failure, and product sunsetting scenarios.
Identify pathways and skills for moving from product leadership to executive roles.
Skills you'll gain
- Influencing
- Relationship Building
- Strategic Planning
- Business Leadership
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Change Management
- Product Strategy
- Coordinating
- Employee Engagement
- Strategic Leadership
- Executive Presence
- Product Roadmaps
- Product Planning
- Organizational Leadership
- Crisis Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Product Management
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Value Propositions
Details to know

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October 2026
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There are 6 modules in this course
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Instructors


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Stanford Online

University of Maryland, College Park

Stanford Online

Stanford Online
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