Are soft skills the secret weapon of great product managers? In this episode of The Product Porch, hosts Todd Blaquiere and Joe Ghali welcome special guest Claudia Saleh, Lead Product Manager at The Walt Disney Company, to break down the essential soft skills every PM needs—and why they matter.

We explore real-world insights—including how soft skills shape leadership at Disney—and tackle big questions like: Can emotional intelligence be developed? How do great PMs navigate difficult stakeholders? And what role do adaptability and communication play in product success? With expert perspectives and practical takeaways, this episode will help you sharpen the skills that set top product managers apart.

References & Links
Follow Claudia at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiasaleh/

Show Notes: Episode 18 - The Hard Things About Soft Skills
[1:04] Welcome Claudia to The Product Porch
Introduction and why soft skills are essential in Product Management

[2:08] Soft skills define a PM’s success
Why stakeholder management, communication, and collaboration are non-negotiable

[4:00] Can PM soft skills be taught?
The role of emotional intelligence and situational awareness

[6:00] Soft skills for career growth
Why mastering influence without authority helps PMs get ahead

[8:00] Joe’s early career story – shoutout to Ray!
A real-world lesson in learning product leadership skills the hard way

[10:00] Essential skills for early-stage Product Managers
How empathy, adaptability, and critical thinking lay the foundation for success

[12:00] Can you teach a PM to be adaptive?
Why PMs must be comfortable with uncertainty and change

[13:09] Bumper sticker wisdom: “Embrace the Grey”
Product Management is rarely black and white—so how do PMs navigate ambiguity?

[14:32] Owning personal growth as a PM
Claudia shares why acknowledging weaknesses is key to improvement

[17:30] Tailoring communication for different audiences
How PMs adjust their messaging between business teams and engineering teams

[20:00] Fun fact: Claudia’s fear of bears 🐻 (yes, this is relevant!)

[21:30] Presentation skills = Product Management superpower
Why strong presentation and storytelling skills are crucial for PMs

[22:42] Claudia’s ultimate mom tip (because life is product management too!)

[23:35] Game time: How different careers build PM soft skills
Todd throws out different job backgrounds—what skills transfer to Product Management?

[26:05] Beyond your career: Where else do PMs develop soft skills?
Coaching, volunteering, parenting—real-world leadership lessons

[27:40] Need travel advice? Claudia has you covered

[29:52] Pop culture moment: Todd drops a Tombstone metaphor
The PM lesson? Play to your strengths!

[30:32] Soft skills for leading Product Managers
What’s different when you go from IC to leading a product team?

[34:15] Leveraging life experiences in Product Management
Some things can’t be learned in a course—it’s about experience and reflection

[36:00] Todd’s story about his new CTO—learning through leadership

[37:30] Is deep focus (aka “being alone and coding”) a soft skill?

[38:00] Claudia’s secret: She spent 10 hours coding the day before this podcast

[40:00] Key Takeaways

Help keep the Product Porch lights on by giving at Patreon.com/TheProductPorch.

Join our email list and never miss an episode at theproductporch.com