#04 of The Inspirational Leader Series, a collection of short interviews with sharp, impactful leaders I know and respect—because the business world needs more refreshing people like them.
Meet Sarah Nelson, Chief Design Officer and Distinguished Designer, Kyndryl Vital. Sarah and I go way back to my days at the design agency, Adaptive Path. She’s brilliant and accessible, deeply curious and a great listener. She can inspire a room. But what I love about her most is that she is always unflappably herself. This modeling of authenticity makes space for those around her to do the same…which in turn generates an environment of unfettered creativity and healthy collaboration. You’ll see why I’m such a fan when you read this interview about her perspective on leadership.
WHAT’S ONE LEADERSHIP TOOL, METHOD, OR MINDSET THAT HAS HAD A BIG IMPACT ON YOU?
Benjamin Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, talks about “giving everyone an ‘A’.” You assume that people have already reached greatness. Not becoming great. Not great next year. Not “you have a lot to learn, follow my lead.” Instead, your job is to champion that greatness. It’s a small shift in thinking but the impact is a more joyful and fulfilling experience for everyone.
WHAT’S A LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE YOU’VE EXPERIENCED THAT HAS TURNED YOU INTO A BETTER LEADER?
This story goes way back to grad school, but it changed what I believed my job was, what I believed a leader is for, and how I wanted to interact with other people. In one of our group projects, the professor did a mid-semester 360 assessment of each team member. I got feedback that I “took the air out of the room.” YIKES! So, I got curious – I had come from a top-down organization where I was expected to lead with a capital “L” and now I was in a situation where every voice needed equal space. I started sitting on my hands and giving other people space to talk and started developing more of a curiosity/question-based approach. I bring this with me everywhere.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE GETTING YOUR LEADERSHIP “RIGHT”?
I know I am on the right path leadership-wise when I see people on my team thriving, taking risks, and engaging in thoughtful critique. I strive to hire people who uniquely see the world, are strong critical thinkers, and possess talents that might look different from the usual (and unfortunately increasingly typical) design skillset. Then I give them the space to explore and find the edges of what is possible.
WHAT’S YOUR LEADERSHIP Metaphor?
I think of leadership in terms of gardening. I like to plant lots of seeds, tend to them and see what develops. In my own real-world gardening, I enjoy sprinkling meadow and native plant seed mixes all around my property and then seeing what comes up. You never know what will take, what will thrive, and what doesn’t. It’s an experiment that at its most fantastic results in a riot of color.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP APPROACH?
I hope leaders will support every person they work with to tap into their most creative selves, even if you don’t directly manage them. We *need* people to bring their inspiration, dreams, and experiences to tackle the significant challenges facing the world today.
