Leadership advice from Design Leaders at Sky and Uber

What do the greatest minds from Sky, Uber, DesignStudio and other future-focused companies think about how design powers business growth?

During Module 2 of our Design Leaders Programme, some of the most outstanding Founders, CFOs, and CEOs shared their insights on driving business success, the role of design at the C-level and building trustworthy products. From their sessions, we put together the most remarkable thoughts to inspire you to become a better leader and make changes in your organisation and team.

Advice on Leadership

Anthony Davies,
MD of Global Design at Sky

'When you become a Chief Design Officer, your number one team is not the design team you led. Your number one team is your C-level peers. It often happens that the Chief Design Officer is the one member of the exec team who finds it hard to scale beyond the team they led. Other functional leaders can grow into general business leaders. Designers, for some reason, usually can't go wider.'

David Sheldon-Hicks,
Co-Founder of Territory Studio

'Too often, we are apologetic and on the back foot when it comes to design leadership. It’s about framing it in the right way to have those conversations at C-Level.'

Kate Williams & Emily Saltmer,
Leadership Coaches

'Listening deeply, asking curious questions, believing in resourcefulness and seeking other angles are not for every situation, but they are critical leadership skills.'

Adrian Talbot,
Chief Financial Officer at Miroma Group

'Clients don’t always value or even understand the years of practice and effort that goes into being creative. Valuing and getting paid properly for creative work is an art form and puts a premium on negotiation skills.'

Margaret Ochieng,
Organisational Psychologist

'The future of leadership will be unlocked by tapping into untapped, underutilised, immobilised and marginalised “knowledges” and practices of the world.'

Advice on Teams & Culture

Paul Wright,
Head of International at Uber Advertising

'The most diverse teams always win better. Especially in a world where you need many voices to understand what is going on.'

Philip Eaves,
Operations Director at GXO Logistics

'I see a future where we have a much more flexible workforce. You can create an environment where you can have people come in and be more effective immediately, instead of having to train them.'

Emma Wee,
Neurodiversity Coach

'Neurodiverse individuals bring tremendous strengths to a team dynamic – by championing Neurodiversity in your workplace, you’re helping your teammates become their most creative, empathetic, and driven selves.'

Julia Whitney,
Leadership Coach

'Having regular debates with your team about what is good design is crucial to keep refreshing the dynamics of the team to unlock the mindset and truthfulness of doing better work.'

Stephanie Pau,
Director & Founder at Studio ANDNAND

'Curiosity is a curious thing, it feeds and grows on itself.'

Advice on Product & Design

Valeria Adani,
Interim CEO at Projects by IF

'AI will define how we interact with technology and society. Seamless, frictionless experiences are no longer enough. Trustworthy AI is the goal. And trustworthy products mean better business.'

Alan Cooney,
Head of Autonomous Systems at AI Safety Institute

'My view is that if we want to make AI safe, we need to really understand how it is thinking under the hood.'

Paul Albert,
Fractional Chief Revenue Officer at ReVAmp Revenue

'Businesses do not wake up in the morning thinking they need to buy something. They are looking to solve problems that are limiting their ability to achieve their desired future state.'

Tim Greenhalgh,
Founder of Like a Moth, former CCO at Landor & Fitch

'Best work is created when strategy and creative team work seamlessly. I’ve never been able to design without a strategy or insight.'

Alex Johns,
Principal at DesignStudio

'The biggest challenge of the in-house design teams is that they know too much about their brand. Agencies' advantage is that they know nothing. This mindset helps to think in new perspectives and create amazing things.'

Ed Warner,
Founder & CEO at Motionspot

'Inclusive environments enable people and businesses to thrive, creating stronger and more successful communities. It makes financial sense too; increasing customers, revenues, productivity, and improving sustainability.'

Tom Rainsford,
Marketing Director at Beavertown Brewery, Former Director of Brand at giffgaff

'If you want people to like your brand, they need to be aware of your brand.'

Deanna Tilston,
Co-Founder of Tosier Chocolate