leadership philosophy
People-centered, Objective-driven Leadership
My philosophy on life and business is that if you treat all the people around you as people with hopes and dreams of their own just as valid and important as yours (instead of as objects that stand in the way of your success) and genuinely look for ways to help them achieve the results they are seeking, you will also achieve the results you are seeking in the process.
The same concept applies in leadership. I have found that it is through transparency, accountability, teamwork, and ownership that winning teams are created and maintained. I hire top talent, give them the tools, guidance, & training they need to succeed, and then stay out of their way. I also only hire people that have a Founder’s Mentality so that they are motivated to make decisions and achieve results through their own ingenuity. All I have to do then is point them in the right direction, clearly defining the objective and key results I want to see then allow them the flexibility to achieve that objective/results however they see fit. I set clear expectations and hold the team (and myself) to them. I expect everyone to play at the top of their game, but do not tolerate 'superstars, gurus, or rockstars'.
This is the only true way to create a culture of innovation that is scalable.
leadership philosophy
I use 4 pillars of people-first leadership create a culture of openess, trust, and respect. Without any 1 of these, a good design culture tends to fall apart, effectiveness decreases, and employee dissatisfaction/attrition grows. With these pillars as a solid foundation, innovation thrives, employees grow, and revenue multiplies.
Support People
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Trust
Build a space where candor, discussion, debate, and positive relationships can flourish.
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Empower & Advocate
Provide individuals latitude through clear communication, honest feedback, and opportunity for growth and leadership.
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Skill Development
Encourage continuous learning, and match opportunities with interests.
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Culture
Champion team values, create psychologically safe environment where team members can be open.
Shape process
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Customer Driven
Leverage research, and design thinking methods to inform business strategies.
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Healthy setting
Create a space for rigorous exploration of ideas, constructive feedback, discussion, and frequent delivery.
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Rituals
Provide healthy points for check-ins, alignment, celebrations, and team bonding.
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Systems
Provide foundational systems that enables more autonomy, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Elevate Craft
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Index on Quality
Shape design practice through feedback, alignment, clear expectations, and up-leveling.
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Provide Context
Operate transparently by sharing necessary information to enable teams to execute with full understanding of goals.
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Measure outcomes
Keep design team accountable by creating feedback loops that inform on business impact, & ROI.
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Calibrate
Improve team dynamics through retrospective exercises, and rebalance to improve performance.
Champion Design
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Nurture Design
Work across the organization to encourage design thinking and inclusion for stronger outcomes.
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Collaborate
Encourage cross-functional(XFN) collaboration that brings different ideas, and perspectives to the table.
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Connect
Tie brand, business, and product needs with design initiatives to help shape strategy.
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Inspire
Provide north-star that provide clarity, gets buy-in, and motivates action towards vision.