Developing Soft Skills for the Remote CPO: Your Secret Sauce for Success

As a CPO (Chief Product Officer), your hard skills—things like building product roadmaps, running prioritization frameworks, and rocking market analysis—are a given. But let’s face it: your soft skills are the glue that holds everything together, and they also need regular fine-tuning. The remote environment can make sharpening these skills feel a bit like captaining a ship blindfolded during a storm.

How do you maintain influence, spark collaboration, and lead effectively without those casual water-cooler chats, in-person brainstorms, or spontaneous team lunches? Sure, we lose some of these moments in a remote setting, but that’s not an excuse to let your emotional intelligence, creativity, and communication chops go stale. In fact, it’s a wake-up call to double down on developing them.

Of course, product metrics and OKRs matter. But your ability to navigate the dynamics of human relationships is what transforms a good CPO into a great one. A recent LinkedIn survey of executives showed that 72% value soft skills more than technical skills—and for good reason. Leadership, especially at your level, is about influence, alignment, and trust.

“Soft skills are career multipliers,” says Arnaud Collery, CEO of Humanava, a company that trains leaders in emotional intelligence. They’re what help you inspire your team to think big, rally stakeholders around a shared vision, and build trust with the C-suite. But soft skills don’t magically appear—they need to be cultivated.

Step 1: Start With an Honest Self-Assessment

The journey begins by understanding where you currently stand. Ask yourself: which soft skills are you acing? Which ones need some TLC? Maybe you’re great at articulating your product vision but need to level up your empathetic listening. Or perhaps you’re a strategic mastermind but could polish your storytelling skills to truly fire up your teams.

Don’t limit yourself to self-analysis. Get feedback from trusted colleagues, peers, or mentors. Ask directly: “How would you describe my leadership style? Where can I improve?” Remember, vulnerability here isn’t a weakness; it’s a strength that builds credibility.

Step 2: Communicate Like a Pro

Communication is the heartbeat of leadership, and remote work makes it even more critical. In an office setting, you and your team can read one another’s body language, overhear conversations, and pick up cues from chance encounters. Online, those little extras vanish, so clarity becomes king. You’ve got to work a little harder to ensure your thoughts, goals, and tasks are understood.

• Spell out the “why” behind decisions. For example, if you decide to delay Feature A in favor of Feature B, don’t just drop the news. Explain that Feature B is a bigger priority right now because it directly impacts key business Goal X. Giving context helps your team understand the rationale behind your priorities.
• Practice radical candor. Deliver honest feedback without being harsh, and invite the same constructive critique from others.

Oh, and even as CPO, don’t skip those casual team-bonding moments. Taking five minutes in a meeting to ask how someone’s weekend went can seriously boost morale.

Step 3: Build Genuine Connection

Establishing rapport might feel optional when you’re juggling roadmaps, stakeholder meetings, and product launches, but it’s key to building trust. Adam Grant, Wharton School professor, talks about consciously creating a shared reality with your coworkers.

How to do this? Go beyond surface-level check-ins:

• Ask about your team’s preferred work styles. When are they most productive? What’s their biggest challenge right now?
• Venture beyond work talk. Show genuine curiosity about their hobbies, interests, or even that stack of “to-read” books towering on their desk.

You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend—you are still the leader, not the buddy—but showing authentic interest builds trust and team cohesion.

Step 4: Treat Feedback Like Gold

Great feedback is a manager’s best friend. Without those impromptu coaching chats over coffee, you need to be more intentional about how you give and receive feedback.

• Ask for it—often. In one-on-ones, be direct: “How did I come across in the last strategy session? Was I clear?”
• Encourage immediate input. After a stakeholder presentation, try: “Anything I could have framed better?”

Don’t just ask for feedback—act on it. When your team sees you’re actually implementing their suggestions, your credibility and openness shoot up.

To make feedback collection more efficient, mix up your methods:

• Regular surveys. Send out anonymous surveys to gauge team morale, job satisfaction, and areas needing improvement.
• Suggestion box (yes, really!). Keep an online form where team members can anonymously share ideas, suggestions, or concerns.
• One-on-ones. Regular face time gives you a chance for open, honest chats about performance, goals, and any roadblocks.

But gathering feedback is only half the battle. You’ve got to analyze it, look for patterns, and create action plans to address recurring issues. And don’t forget to keep the team posted on how you’re using their input to improve the workflow and culture.

Step 5: Get Better at “Reading the Room,” Even If It’s Just a Zoom Grid

Remote work demands you read between the pixels. You can’t catch subtle cues—like fidgeting or sideways glances—when everyone’s in their own home office. But don’t let that stop you from observing.

Keep an eye on:

• Facial expressions during video calls. Does someone seem distracted or upset?
• Tone of voice. Are there changes in energy or volume that might indicate hesitation or excitement?
• Communication patterns. Are responses in chat slowing down? That might hint at burnout or confusion.

Your ability to ‘read the room’ is a superpower that makes you a more empathetic and effective leader—even if your “room” is just a grid of video thumbnails.

Step 6: Show Visibility Through Action

Visibility isn’t about showing up to the office.

It’s about delivering results and modeling the behavior you want to see in your team. You’ve got to set the tone.

• Prioritize ruthlessly. Prove you know how to focus your team’s energy on what really matters. Lay out a clear product roadmap, define key metrics, and make sure everyone’s aligned on the big stuff.
• Highlight the wins. Celebrate milestones—big or small—to keep morale high. Give kudos to the team on all-hands calls, in emails, or in Slack. Publicly recognize individual contributors and thank them for their hustle.
• Stay accessible. Even if your calendar is loaded, carve out predictable windows when people can reach you. Set clear expectations for response times, and be there when the team needs support or guidance.

The more disciplined and results-driven you are, the more your team will follow suit.

Step 7: Don’t Forget In-Person Moments

While you may love the flexibility of remote work, remember that the occasional face-to-face meetups can be game-changers for your team. Whether it’s a quarterly get-together or an annual retreat, these IRL moments strengthen team bonds and cultural alignment.

“Meeting in person allows you to soak in the nuances of team dynamics,” says Collery. “It’s like hitting the gym for your relationship muscles.”

When do in-person gatherings matter most?

• Strategic discussions. Pulling the team into one space to tackle long-term goals, vision, and strategy fosters deeper collaboration and alignment.
• Conflict resolution. Face-to-face conversations are often more effective for diffusing tensions since everyone can better pick up on nonverbal cues and have more open dialogue.
• Team building. In-person interactions boost trust, empathy, and camaraderie among team members.

Final Thoughts: Soft Skills Create Serious Impact

As a CPO, your technical prowess is just half the equation. Your ability to inspire, align, and lead through top-notch soft skills is what will make your team and product truly exceptional.

Remote work may challenge the way you develop these abilities, but it also opens up brand-new opportunities for growth. Stay intentional, keep a curious mind, and remember: showing empathy and genuine human connection isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s your competitive edge.