In most product organizations, weekly syncs with product managers (PMs) and product owners (POs) are a routine part of the workflow. These meetings, often structured around tools like Jira or other task-tracking systems, are designed to provide updates on the current status of tasks in a kanban or backlog. It’s a format we’re all familiar with — each PM or PO provides a quick rundown of what’s in progress, what’s completed, and what’s next.

While this serves a functional purpose, it raises a critical question: Is merely updating on tasks truly leading the product?

As a Senior Product Manager working in a collaborative team, I’ve observed a key distinction between meetings that focus on status updates and the kind of strategic leadership that drives real product alignment. The difference lies in the depth of thought leadership and vision that’s brought into the conversation.

1. Status Meetings: Reactive vs. Proactive

In a typical PM/PO sync, the focus tends to be reactive. What’s done? What’s blocked? What’s the next step? While important for maintaining flow, this approach can sometimes lack the larger context. It focuses on the “what” but rarely delves into the “why” or “how.”

  • Reactive: Status meetings are like snapshots of the current moment. They’re tactical, focused on short-term wins and execution details.
  • Proactive: True product leadership, however, is about anticipating challenges, steering the team through obstacles, and ensuring that every action aligns with long-term product strategy.

Takeaway: While status updates are necessary, a product leader needs to elevate the conversation by connecting tactical efforts to the broader product vision.

2. True Product Leadership: Creating Alignment

True product leadership is not about simply relaying information but about aligning the entire team behind a clear vision. This means leading discussions on priorities, questioning assumptions, and actively resolving conflicts between different stakeholders. Leaders make sure that everyone understands not just what tasks are being worked on, but why they matter in the grand scheme of the product’s lifecycle.

A Jira board doesn’t tell the full story — it’s the product leader’s role to paint that picture.

  • Task updates: “We completed feature X and are now working on feature Y.”
  • Leadership perspective: “Feature X ties into our long-term goal of improving user experience by reducing friction in the workflow. Feature Y, however, needs reevaluation, as recent user feedback suggests we might be solving the wrong problem.”

Takeaway: A product leader doesn’t just report progress but continually revisits the strategy and adjusts the course when needed. Alignment is about ensuring everyone understands the bigger picture and is moving in the right direction.

3. Leading Conversations, Not Just Meetings

In a traditional status update meeting, participants often go through the motions: stating their progress and waiting for the next person to speak. A leader, however, doesn’t just facilitate updates — they facilitate critical thinking. They create space for meaningful dialogue, encourage challenging questions, and surface potential risks or missed opportunities.

In the meetings I’ve been part of, I’ve seen the shift when someone steps up to lead a topic. It’s not about what they’ve completed but how they use that progress to drive the product vision forward.

  • Example: Instead of saying, “We’re on track with task A,” a product leader might challenge the team by asking, “Given that task A is near completion, how do we plan to measure its impact? Is this still the right feature for our target users?”

Takeaway: Effective product leaders use every interaction to guide their team toward more impactful decisions, ensuring discussions go beyond the task list and into strategy, metrics, and value.

4. Taking Ownership: Beyond the Board

Lastly, true product leadership is about owning the success of the product, not just the tasks on the board. While a Jira board can help track the work, it’s not a substitute for accountability or vision. Leaders don’t wait for a sync to push the product forward — they’re constantly thinking about the next move, engaging stakeholders, and driving consensus outside of structured meetings.

The most impactful product leaders I’ve worked with are those who take initiative to resolve conflicts, align different teams, and course-correct when needed — all while ensuring the product vision stays intact.

Takeaway: Leadership isn’t about managing tasks; it’s about owning the outcome and continuously driving toward the product’s success, even when no one’s watching.

Conclusion

Status updates and task tracking are crucial components of managing product development, but they’re not enough. Product leadership is about so much more than keeping a Jira board up to date or running through the motions of a weekly sync. It’s about fostering alignment, steering the team toward a common vision, and ensuring that every decision, no matter how small, contributes to the larger product strategy.

As product managers, we must move beyond the mindset of simply reporting progress. Instead, we must focus on leading — not just in meetings but in every interaction, every discussion, and every decision that impacts the product. That’s the difference between managing tasks and truly driving a product forward.