Developing a great creative team: my top seven tips

From doing a loop-the-loop with the F-PACE to designing the I-PACE – our first all-electric vehicle – creativity is Jaguar’s lifeblood. And it has been all the way through its rich 83-year history. For the last 20 years I’ve had the privilege to lead a hugely talented team of designers who live and breathe innovation. I believe this team is fundamental to the success that Jaguar enjoys today. Here are just some of the countless lessons I’ve learned along the way.

1. Shared team objectives:

It sounds simple but you have to start with a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Ask yourself: what are your objectives? What is your ambition for the team? What is your vision for the brand?

Once that’s defined, communicate those things to your team, and clearly define each person’s role within that. Because after all, these are the people who – with your direction – will take your concept and make it a reality.

2. The characteristics of a creative team:

First and foremost your team has to be imaginative. It must include people who can invariably do some elements of the job better than the boss – certainly from a technical point of view. In other words, surround yourself with great people: as they learn, improve and develop, you will too. Most importantly, they must be people that you can work with and that you respect.

3. The challenge with creatives:

Creative people tend to be strong characters. In my experience designers tend to have very equally strong points of view, and their single-mindedness can occasionally get in the way of team work.

It is so important to collaborate with your fellow creatives and to have open, honest and constructive debate. This acts as a catalyst throughout the design process. Creativity at times needs to be disruptive, but collaboration is essential for you and your team to deliver.

4. The leader doesn’t have to sit above everyone else:

When I first meet a potential new team member, I need to feel empathy and get a sense that we can learn from one other. I see leadership as a two-way process, with a team of people who have equal value.

It’s the opposite of hierarchical: the only difference is that I’m the one who has to make the final decision, and, of course, I have to give the team a clear direction of where we need to go.

5. Trust is key:

With any team the element of trust is, of course, fundamental. We should all be allowed to make mistakes in order to learn, and having an environment of trust means that we can make those mistakes without fear. Being part of a strong team provides support throughout these moments of learning.

It’s hugely important that we can all objectively look at and critique one another’s work as well as our own in order to come up with the most creative solutions. But you can only truly do that when you’re a team of trusting people.

6. Putting faith in the younger generation:

When I started my career, I was often given the jobs that seemed less significant at the time, because that was part of the graduate learning curve. However, having designed more steering wheels than I care to think about, I eventually became very frustrated with the lack of opportunity.

I then decided that, should I ever have the privilege to have my own design studio, I would allow young people to demonstrate their skills early on in their careers and allow them to discover their strengths and weaknesses alike. Encouraging young minds to create and develop ideas is invaluable to the future.  

Unfortunately in my formative years I did not have this sort of leadership and didn’t get to design a full car until I was 36. It was only then I realised how difficult the whole process is and to be honest I wasn’t ready for it. By that age, I want my team to be capable of coping with the challenge.

7. Drop them in the deep end – learning to fail:

I love to give my designers a sense of responsibility as soon as they join the team. Occasionally a baptism of fire opens up their eyes to a greater understanding of not only the complexity of what they’re doing, but the responsibility they hold in what they do.

It’s a very humbling experience and often a turning point in the life of a designer. The reality of committing millions of pounds to what may seem the simplest of objects is something to be taken very seriously.

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