PHILIP BURGESS

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first encountered the idea of servant leadership, I was skeptical. Leadership, in my mind, was about authority, decision-making, and driving results. The notion of leading by serving others felt counterintuitive. Yet, over time, I discovered that this quiet discipline holds a powerful key to building trust, fostering growth, and creating lasting impact. What Servant Leadership Really Means Servant leadership flips the traditional

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first stepped into a leadership role, I believed that being a servant leader meant always having the right answers and making everyone feel comfortable. I quickly learned that leadership is rarely comfortable. The real challenge is sitting with discomfort—leaning into difficult conversations, facing uncertainty, and managing emotions without rushing to fix or avoid them. This skill is essential for anyone who wants to lead with em

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader In two decades of UX research, I’ve used every method in the book—interviews, usability testing, surveys, field studies, analytics reviews, card sorts, and more. I’ve worked with cutting-edge tools, followed detailed frameworks, and built structured processes to ensure quality. But here’s the truth: process doesn’t matter if you don’t put people first. I’ve seen brilliant research fall flat because the team didn’t trust the researcher. I