How would you suggest someone become a product marketing leader? What would you suggest for someone trying to become a product marketing manager?

Being a product marketing leader requires orchestrating other people's work. If you're in that role, don't fall into the trap of giving others tasks and checking every single step of the way. It puts pressure on people and shifts collaboration towards demotivating micromanagement. 

It's much better to be someone who listens, cares and understands how to help teammates achieve goals more effectively.

Going from an individual contributor to a manager is a big step in anyone's career. Everyone has an idea of what the ideal manager looks like. First and foremost, you have to have the product marketing skillset so that you can ensure you are driving your team from a place of excellence. After that, for me, it's also about being able to lead with empathy. Understanding your team members' motivations and then being able to help remove obstacles. One practical piece of advice I can give you is if you are missing the manager-level experience is to start with supervising an intern or two. If you are successful, that can help you make the case that you are ready for a direct report.

To move to a director-level position requires strategic thinking. It's no longer about messaging for a specific product but about driving business strategy across an entire portfolio or business. You are expected to help drive important conversations, such as pricing strategy, are we addressing the right markets, are there other markets we need to expand into, etc. Thinking much more broadly about corporate strategy rather than just product excellence.