Earlier this year, during a peaceful hijack of our weekly all-hands meeting, my team of product managers in Red Hat's Digital Experience organization revealed they had nominated me for—and that I had won—Red Hat's prestigious Exceptional Manager Award.

I was completely stunned.

Later, I received an email with the details: out of more than 300 nominations, I was one of 11 winners selected for efforts to drive business results and nurture talent. The selection committee had surveyed my direct reports, investigated a major initiative we had delivered, dug into the data from our quarterly reviews and associate sentiment scores, and reviewed my manager's ratings of me over the prior year.

Last week, Red Hat sent the award winners on a retreat to Madeira, Portugal, for an incredible week of exploration and connection. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend time with these other exceptional managers, compare notes, and reflect on what this recognition means to me.

As I reflect on the last couple of years and what this award signifies, two things are clear:

First, people management is not for the faint of heart. To do it well, you often have to step beyond your original discipline—the one you studied in school or became an expert in. At that point, you’re in a different business I describe as “the work of humans at scale,” trying to change your daily actions from being about you and what you can produce, to being about how you can ensure high performance and productivity from a large team of people.

The default impulse for a new people manager is to focus first on the work and the business goals through the lens of their prior expertise in pursuing these as an individual. We all fall back on that habit when the going gets tough. However, the real work of “humans at scale” is to pursue those same business goals and outcomes by creating a positive and motivated environment for the team. To unlock high performance and productivity, your priority as a people leader is to create an environment of clarity, trust, camaraderie, and common cause. In that kind of space, people are empowered to do their best work—and they want to do their best work. I plan on writing more about my specific experiences with these things in the future.

My opportunity to learn (and keep learning) how to set the right environment has been made possible by the Digital Product Management team I lead. As much as I have steered and guided my team, they have done the same for me. My 2024 directs and leads team has been at the vanguard: Jennifer Calogero, Stephanie Boucher, Keeley Reed, Heather Kim, James Bailey, Torrie Burns have all been at the heart of a real transformation for our team over the last two years. And what a team they are—we were five when I started in this role in 2021, and today we are 21. This talented group has navigated a large amount of change to scale, remain forward-thinking, and evolve every aspect of our portfolio as our industry and company have pivoted. I've never worked with a finer team—they are delivering the best work I've seen to date. Thank you to them: Amanda Berneburg, Donna Smalls, Alex Krikos, Joseph Sewell, Nina Roby, JP Sherman, Craig Conway, Danielle DaGrossa, Evan Roberts, Julio Portalatin, Jess Sturgis, Jim Berets, Brett Williams, Lauren Bryson, and Melinda Sommerfeld.

Second, I would not be at this career moment without the coaching and example of four leaders who have helped shape my perspective on managing people, and product managers, over the years.

Nicholas Markos was the first professional manager I ever worked for, at the time leading a very young team through business model disruption and the dot-com bust of the '00s. Smart, kind, and practical—I learned a lot watching him lead from within the team with his authentic self. Thank you, Nick.

Rebecca Armacost, gave me excellent coaching last year as part of Red Hat's Advanced Leadership Development Program. Her intelligent and compassionate advice on relationship building, anchoring on core beliefs, and staying positive helped me commit to tough changes during a time of tumult. Thank you, Rebecca.

I was thrilled last year when Denise Tilles, of Product Operations fame, agreed to coach our whole team of digital product managers (and me!) through a multi-month engagement on current industry best practices. Her sessions on stakeholder management, navigating organizational friction, and using evidence to reduce risk have helped us raise our game in tangible ways. I especially learned from the way she kept everyone engaged as a facilitator: with an inquisitive nature, by offering empathy, and by sharing specific examples from her consulting practice and prior roles. Thank you, Denise.

I met Ellie Johnson in 2017 and had the chance to work for her in 2021—she has coached me for four years now as my exceptional manager. She has set an example for me and many at Red Hat as a true values-based leader who works in the open, builds connections, and rallies people around the power of the possible. She's also a master builder in a core product management practice: convening others as an honest broker who creates alignment, excitement, and forward motion. Ellie does these things like no one else—it is a privilege to be on her leadership team and to build Digital for Red Hat with her alongside my talented and brilliant colleague, Felicia Haynes. Thank you, Ellie.

Lastly, I want to thank the incredible people at Red Hat who organized the retreat in Madeira last week. Meghan Tilley , Laurie Gyalog, and their team stunned us all with their thoughtfulness and care throughout the week. A special thanks also to Jennifer Dudeck and Carolyn Nash for hosting us and giving the group their perspectives on important topics for managers at this pivotal chapter in Red Hat’s incredible story as a one-of-a-kind pioneer in the technology industry.

I'm truly grateful for the chance to practice the craft of people management among so many excellent teammates and colleagues. This recognition would not have been possible without all the people I have named—and many more—working shoulder-to-shoulder with me, supporting me in this work of "humans at scale." What a ride this has been and continues to be. Onward!