How I Build Trust, Growth, and Momentum in Teams

How I Build Trust, Growth, and Momentum in Teams

Leading with Clarity, Care, and Energy

When I think about leadership, I don’t picture hierarchy or authority. I picture clarity, energy, and care, the kind of presence that makes others feel safe enough to take risks and clear enough to act with intention. That’s the kind of leadership I try to practice.

Over the years, I’ve led teams of all shapes and sizes, from small groups navigating new markets to 30-plus full-time creatives across UX, research, content, and motion. I’ve worked across Amsterdam, London, and beyond, often stepping into transformation moments where ambiguity was high and the path wasn’t yet defined.

Growing People, Not Just Capabilities

Supporting growth isn’t just about mentorship, it’s about building the systems, rituals, and culture that help people thrive. Here’s how I’ve led that work:

Building the Foundations for Growth

To create a supportive and scalable environment, I introduced:

  • A redesigned onboarding process that gave new hires clarity, confidence, and faster alignment

  • A 1-1 coaching template that helped team leads structure growth-focused conversations

  • An improved hiring framework focused on both capability and team dynamics

These systems helped create consistency across the team while still allowing space for individual leadership styles.

Mapping Careers with Intention

I launched a career framework and skills-mapping model to bring transparency and structure to our growth conversations:

  • The framework defined expectations across disciplines and levels, supporting promotions, feedback, and stretch planning

  • The skills map helped designers see where they stood, what their strengths were, and where they could evolve, whether toward deeper craft, new focus areas, or leadership

These tools became foundational for performance reviews, coaching moments, and individual development plans.

Pushing into the Future

Leadership is also about preparing your team for what’s next. I actively introduced and encouraged exploration of AI in design workflows:

  • Created space for hands-on experimentation with AI tools

  • Hosted working sessions to reflect on value, risk, and future use

  • Used insights to help reposition our team’s offering around Intelligent Experiences, integrating human-centered design with machine-enabled systems

This wasn’t just about tools, it was about shaping mindset, adaptability, and relevance in a changing industry.

Representing and Uplifting Our Voice

From mentoring at Girls’ IT Day to speaking onstage at the CX Exchange in London, I see leadership as a platform. It’s one that should be used to elevate others and share what we learn along the way. I bring that same energy to the teams I lead. Whether I’m in a one-on-one or presenting to a room of executives, I aim to show up with clarity, honesty, and empathy.

My Leadership Philosophy

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about building trust, modeling good habits, and helping others make decisions with confidence. It’s knowing when to push and when to pause. It’s being human in a role that sometimes asks us to be more than that.

I try to lead with both head and heart, designing the conditions for others to do their best work and grow while doing it.