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- The Product Model #271 - Repaying the Trust in Empowered Teams
The Product Model #271 - Repaying the Trust in Empowered Teams
This Week’s Updates: Tender Leadership, Products To Systems, Accessible Research Insights, Building Resilient Design Teams, Vibe Engineering, and more...
Rory Madden
December 09, 2025
Repaying the Trust in Empowered Teams
With great power comes great responsibility!
When a Product Team empowers a Stream Team to decide what to build for their value stream, it requires significant trust. Stream Teams must actively maintain this trust through complete transparency in their work, research, and decision-making processes.
Stream Teams should embrace scrutiny as an opportunity to demonstrate their thoroughness, actively seek expertise when needed, and maintain strong accountability. When challenges arise, they must own the outcomes, identify root causes, and implement improvements. This balance of autonomy and accountability creates a partnership that drives product excellence through empowered execution.
Do you think your organisation would embrace real autonomy for teams to decide what to build? |
This Week’s Updates
Enabling the Team
Repaying the Trust in Empowered Teams by Rory Madden
Empowered teams are a cornerstone of modern product development, but empowerment is not an entitlement - it is a responsibility. Product Teams place immense trust in Stream Teams to work autonomously and drive meaningful impact.
Tender Leadership With A Bit Of Mischief by Urszula Kluz
Great leaders balance empathy with playfulness. Leading with care, curiosity, and a touch of mischief helps teams stay creative under pressure and fosters cultures where experimentation feels safe and encouraged.