Summary
What does it take to become a great research leader? What are the different types of leaders in research? How do you grow a team from a solo researcher to a successful research team? Growing research teams show a company’s commitment to user-centered and insight-driven decision-making. With growing teams, research leadership becomes a central topic. With user research often having the most comprehensive picture of the user, we will explore what this means for the collaboration with or leadership of other disciplines in the organization. Today we have the chance to learn from three research leaders who share their personal perspectives on research leadership and various facets of it. Get to know our panelists: Anna Avrekh, UX Research Manager at Meta Dr. John Pagonis, Principal UX Researcher at Zanshin Labs Klara Pelcl, Senior Design Research Manager at ebay Join us live as we have plenty of room for your questions during the panel.
Key Insights
-
•
Great UX research leaders aspire to become obsolete by building strong, empowered teams.
-
•
Effective research leadership requires advocacy to move research from reactive ticket-taking to strategic influence.
-
•
Transitioning from hands-on researcher to manager involves a mindset shift from delivering insights personally to enabling others to do so.
-
•
Preparing research that can withstand organizational scrutiny is key to defending evidence without defensiveness.
-
•
Building stakeholder involvement early reduces resistance and fosters a shared quest for truth.
-
•
Research leadership is not one-size-fits-all; there are valid paths as senior individual contributor or manager.
-
•
Managing a team remotely and during crises requires extra emphasis on communication, trust, and vulnerability.
-
•
Communicating research value is a gradual process requiring one-on-one relationship building and demonstrating impact over time.
-
•
Measuring and closing the loop on research impact helps justify research investment and drives continuous improvement.
-
•
Balancing 'player-coach' roles is challenging; leaders must manage bandwidth, expectations, and onboarding carefully.
Notable Quotes
"One of the amazing things about becoming very successful leaders is eventually becoming obsolete."
"You have to prepare research to withstand scrutiny by anyone so your team can go forward confidently."
"Leadership is enabling people to become empowered to achieve what they are set to achieve."
"The transition from hands-on research to managing is a big mind shift where outcomes become more intangible."
"Don’t position yourself as the research expert; you are the expert in facilitating the quest for knowledge."
"By the time the report comes out, your immediate team should have already moved on with implementing feedback."
"Trust with your team needs to be established and continuously nurtured because tough situations arise quickly."
"Time is the only resource we cannot replenish. Make sure you don’t spend it doing what’s not meaningful."
"Being human, authentic, humble, and showing vulnerability can take you a long way as a research leader."
"There is no certainty ever in research; qualitative and quantitative approaches complement each other for different purposes."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Design thinking is for everybody. It’s collaborative, inclusive, and cross-disciplinary."
Doug PowellClosing Keynote: Design at Scale
November 8, 2018
"Make sure children understand they can stop the session at any time, and confirm they really get that."
Mila Kuznetsova Lucy DentonHow Lessons Learned from Our Youngest Users Can Help Us Evolve our Practices
March 9, 2022
"The mayor wanted to shrink the neighborly bonds that the city was known for by investing in a 2030 living Monument of collaboration and community."
Sarah GallimoreInspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future
November 18, 2022
"Field usability testing showed stakeholders immediately how much value UX can add by catching issues before deployment."
Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne RogondinoTheme 1: Discussion
January 8, 2024
"Start tinkering, playing around, and pushing AI’s limits because the industry shift is going to get faster."
Alnie FigueroaThe Future of Design Operations: Transforming Our Craft
September 10, 2025
"Statistical significance tells you if a change is likely not random, but it does not tell you if the change matters to your business."
Landon BarnesAre My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?
March 10, 2022
"It’s the worst thing when someone feels dumb in front of a customer because the tools don’t support them."
Emily EagleCan't Rewind: Radio and Retail
June 3, 2019
"We neglected our power users during the responsive, one-size-fits-all strategy, and it really hurt us."
Malini RaoLessons Learned from a 4-year Product Re-platforming Journey
June 9, 2021
"Accessibility isn’t just a checklist; it changes moment to moment for any individual."
Asia HoePartnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
November 29, 2023
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
How does finance act as a performance shaping service design outcomes?
How should service designers adapt their approach when working in different cultural and market contexts, like the US versus Europe?
What are effective performance measurement strategies for small organizations with limited resources?