By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Integrity stands as the cornerstone of effective servant leadership. Without it, leadership risks losing trust, direction, and purpose. Servant leadership, a philosophy where leaders prioritize the needs of others, depends heavily on the leader’s honesty, consistency, and moral principles. This post explores why integrity is essential for servant leaders and how it shapes their ability to inspire, guide, and serve. Reflection and honesty

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Trust is the foundation of any strong team or community. When trust breaks down, it can feel like everything is at risk. For a servant leader, whose role is to support and serve others, broken trust presents a unique challenge. How do you continue to lead effectively when the very bond that connects you to your team is damaged? This post explores practical ways servant leaders can rebuild trust and restore healthy relationships. A weathe

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Servant leadership has gained popularity as a leadership style that focuses on serving others, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing the growth and well-being of team members. It encourages leaders to listen, empathize, and support their teams rather than simply directing or commanding. Despite its emphasis on humility and service, servant leadership still requires clear expectations to function effectively. Without clear guidelines,

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Leadership styles shape how teams perform, how individuals feel valued, and how goals are achieved. Two approaches that often get confused are servant leadership and people-pleasing . While both involve caring for others, their motivations and outcomes differ greatly. Understanding these differences helps leaders build stronger teams without sacrificing their own boundaries or effectiveness. What Servant Leadership Means Servant leaders

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Servant leadership often gets misunderstood as a style where leaders simply yield to others, avoiding conflict or difficult decisions. This view misses the core of what servant leadership truly means. Serving others does not require passivity or sacrificing your own needs and limits. In fact, setting clear boundaries is essential to lead effectively while serving. This post explores how servant leaders can balance care and authority, ens

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Understanding how users organize information is key to designing intuitive websites, apps, and products. Card sorting is a simple yet powerful method to uncover how people group content, helping designers create clear navigation and structure. This post explores different types of card sorting, practical tips, and best practices to get the most from this user research technique. Person organizing cards during a card sorting exercise What

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research plays a crucial role in shaping products that meet users' needs effectively. Yet, as organizations grow, their approach to UX research must evolve to keep pace with changing goals, teams, and resources. What works for a startup may not suit a mature company with multiple product lines and diverse user bases. Understanding how UX research strategies change with organizational maturity helps teams build strong

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader In business and decision-making, it’s easy to assume that gathering more research automatically leads to better strategies. The idea seems logical: the more information you have, the smarter your choices will be. Yet, in practice, this is not always true. Sometimes, an overload of data can cloud judgment, delay action, and even lead to poor decisions. Understanding why more research doesn’t always improve strategy can help leaders and te

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research is essential for designing products that meet real user needs. Yet, even when the research itself is thorough and well-executed, the overall UX research strategy can still fail. This disconnect often leaves teams frustrated and products underperforming. Understanding why this happens helps avoid wasted effort and ensures research truly drives better design decisions. Workspace showing UX research materials a