Servant Leadership in an Agile Environment: Leading a UX Research Team with Empathy and Purpose

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

In Agile environments, leadership is less about command-and-control and more about empowering teams to succeed. For UX research managers, this shift is even more critical: our role is not just about ensuring studies get done, but about creating the conditions where researchers thrive, stakeholders are engaged, and insights flow seamlessly into product decisions.

This is where servant leadership comes in.

What is Servant Leadership?

At its core, servant leadership flips traditional leadership on its head. Instead of asking, “What can my team do for me?”, servant leaders ask, “What can I do for my team?”

The principles of servant leadership—listening, empathy, stewardship, and growth—map beautifully onto the values of Agile and the collaborative, user-centered nature of UX research.

Why Servant Leadership Matters in Agile UX Research

1. Agile thrives on empowered teams. UX researchers often work in fast-moving, cross-functional squads. Servant leadership ensures they have psychological safety to experiment, speak up, and influence decisions.

2. Research requires trust and empathy. Just as researchers empathize with users, servant leaders empathize with their researchers—understanding their challenges and creating space for them to succeed.

3. Stakeholder alignment needs facilitation. Research leaders act as bridges, not gatekeepers. Servant leadership enables managers to remove barriers and foster collaboration between researchers, product owners, and designers.

How to Practice Servant Leadership as a UX Research Manager

1. Empower Rather Than Direct

• Let researchers choose their methods and approaches whenever possible.

• Provide guidance, but resist micromanaging.

Agile tie-in: Researchers become autonomous contributors within sprints, not bottlenecks.

2. Remove Barriers to Success

• Handle budget, tool access, or recruiting issues so your team can focus on the work.

• Protect research time from scope creep and last-minute changes.

Agile tie-in: By unblocking teams, you keep velocity and morale high.

3. Elevate Voices

• Invite researchers to present findings directly to executives, not just through you.

• Create forums (like research share-outs) where all voices are heard.

Agile tie-in: Transparency and collaboration are maximized when the team—not just leadership—owns the insights.

4. Focus on Growth and Development

• Pair junior researchers with mentors.

• Provide ongoing feedback, coaching, and training opportunities.

• Celebrate both wins and learnings.

Agile tie-in: Continuous improvement isn’t just for products—it’s for people, too.

5. Lead by Example

• Demonstrate empathy in your interactions.

• Show humility by admitting when you don’t have all the answers.

• Model curiosity and openness toward new ideas.

Agile tie-in: A culture of experimentation is reinforced when leaders also embrace learning.

The Impact of Servant Leadership on Research Teams

When UX research managers adopt servant leadership, teams feel supported, engaged, and empowered. This leads to:

• Higher quality insights (because researchers can focus deeply).

• Stronger influence (because stakeholders see empowered researchers as trusted advisors).

• Team resilience (because people feel valued and invested in).

Final Thoughts

Agile and UX research both thrive on collaboration, adaptability, and empathy. Servant leadership brings these threads together, ensuring researchers feel empowered, supported, and heard.

In the end, leading with service doesn’t make you less of a leader—it makes your impact greater. By putting people first, you enable better products, stronger teams, and more meaningful user experiences.