Half coach, half operator. This is how I lead, what I value, how I give feedback, and the bits I'm still working on. Read it before we work together - it'll save us both a quarter.
"My job as a leader is to set clear direction, foster alignment, and remove obstacles - so others can do their best work."
How I lead
Five principles
01
Set direction. Then get out of the way.
Vision and metrics come from me. The "how" comes from the team. I'll write the brief, give context, and ask harder questions than the brief itself - but I won't redesign the work over your shoulder.
02
Listen first. Reframe before you solve.
Most "problems" land mis-named. I'll ask thoughtful questions in 1:1s, calibrations, and strategy sessions - not because I don't have a view, but because the right reframe usually unlocks more than the right answer.
03
Coaching is a leadership skill, not a side activity.
I coach my reports as a primary part of the job, not a bonus. I expect the same of any manager I hire. Psychological safety isn't a vibe; it's a daily practice.
04
Make space for experiments - including ones that fail.
Especially with AI tooling, new design system rituals, hybrid roles. I'll back a 70%-confident prototype over a 100%-talked-about idea. If it doesn't work we learn it cost us two weeks, not two quarters.
05
Service mindset, all the way down.
The org exists to make the team great. The team exists to make the user great. My job is to keep that arrow pointing the right way, even when politics tries to turn it.
What I value most
In the team
01
Curiosity over certainty
People who ask the second question. Strong opinions, held loosely.
02
Craft with intent
Beautiful work, in service of the user - not the portfolio.
03
Speed with humility
Ship fast, then own what you got wrong. The pace is non-negotiable; the ego is.
04
Diverse perspectives
Different backgrounds, different brains. Where I've built teams, this has been the unfair advantage.
05
AI fluency
Not flair. Real, daily, opinionated use of AI tooling across research, design, and delivery.
06
Calm under ambiguity
Most of the interesting problems are messy. The willingness to sit with that is half the job.
How I give feedback
Cadence + style
→ Rhythm
Weekly 1:1sAlways. 50 minutes. Owned by you, not me - you bring the agenda.
Live coaching in the momentI'll surface feedback in the work itself rather than save it for a quarterly review.
Written calibration notesBefore any promotion or performance cycle, you'll see my written take with time to respond.
Annual self-reviewI do mine first and share it. Goes both ways.
→ Style
Direct, kindlySpecific to behaviour, not character. No vague "be more strategic".
Named & reframedI'll name what I'm seeing, then ask how you see it - usually the gap is where the work is.
Praise in public, course-correct in privateDefault mode, with rare exceptions when the team needs to see the standard live.
ReceiptsIf I ask for change, I'll point at the evidence, not just the vibe.
How to work with me
Operating defaults
→ Comms & meetings
Async-firstDefault to a doc or a Loom before a meeting. If you need me live, say why.
25 / 50 minute meetingsNever the full hour. Always an agenda.
Deep work in the morningsDon't book me before 11 unless it's strategic. I'll do the same for you.
Slack is for fast, doc is for slowBig decisions belong in writing, not in DMs.
→ Decisions
Brief → disagree → shipI'll write a short brief, ask for the strongest disagree, then commit. We don't relitigate later.
Disagree & commitOnce a decision is made, I expect public alignment - even if you pushed back inside the room.
Reversible vs one-wayFor two-way doors, decide in a day. For one-way doors, take a week and write a memo.
Default to clarity over consensusI'd rather be 80% right and decided than 100% right and stuck.
Energy
What lights me up · what drains me
+ Energises me
Low-maturity teamsBrand new functions, missing playbooks, no manager. Sweet spot.
Ambiguous, high-stakes problemsThe messier the brief, the more interesting it is.
Coaching IC → manager transitionsThe hardest career jump in design. I love being there for it.
AI-native design systems & toolingWhere craft and ops meet - the future of how we work.
Brand-building with foundersVoice, vision, narrative. Especially in 0 → 1 environments.
− Drains me
Politics dressed as strategyI'll call it gently the first time and bluntly the second.
Theatre meetingsLong status updates that should have been a doc. Multi-meeting decision loops.
Command-and-control leadership above meI'll struggle in an org that doesn't see coaching as real work.
Perfectionism on low-stakes workPolishing the inbox while the launch slips. Hard pass.
The fit test
Hire me if · don't hire me if
✓ Hire me if
You're scaling a design function from near-scratchI've done it three times. Love it every time.
You want AI-native craft, not AI-flavoured slidewareReal workflows, real tooling, real upskilling - not a deck about it.
You see coaching as an asset, not extracurricularIf "spends too much time with their reports" sounds like a compliment to you, we'll get along.
You want direction and autonomyI'll set both and ask for both.
✗ Don't hire me if
You need a pure IC, no teamI'll be in the work, but I lead through the team.
The mandate is "maintain"I'm a builder. If the function is already humming and just needs steering, you want someone else.
Design Systems, Brand, Research are seen as overheadI treat them as growth multipliers. We'll fight if you don't.
Decisions take five meetingsI won't last the trial.
What I'm working on
Growth edges · the brave bit
The bits I'm still getting better at. Read this so you can hold me to it.
Saying no faster - instead of saying yes and rebalancing the load three weeks later.
Shipping drafts to my team earlier - less polish, more "here's where I'm at, push back".
Asking for help before I need it, not after.
Letting silence sit longer in 1:1s - the best stuff is usually on the other side of it.
Choosing fewer priorities and protecting them ruthlessly.
Sound like the kind of leader you want? Let's talk.
This README is a starting point, not a contract. The real test is a conversation - I'd rather have an honest 30 minutes than a polished interview round. Drop me a note.