Steve "Buzz" Pearce is a design leader with 25 years of experience spanning companies like Skype, Microsoft, SkyScanner, TravelPerk, and Monday.com. Since his early days, Steve has chosen to focus on doing great work, learning from amazing people, and being challenged, rather than always seeking promotions. On the last episode of this season we chat about the progression from tools to craft to invention, the accountability ladder framework that changed how he leads, why you need to play the victim less and take ownership more, and his leadership style of leading like a shepherd—guiding people to greener pastures whilst protecting and nurturing the team.

Timestamps:

02:16 – Steve's career arc
07:08 – Proving competence before getting promoted
11:16 – The framework: tools, craft, invention, and influence
20:44 – Balancing micromanagement with giving space
32:16 – Building people up, not crushing them
34:50 – Giving permission to be honest and role modelling feedback
39:50 – The mental flip: business, team, then yourself
40:26 – What to let go of when moving into leadership
54:44 – The accountability ladder
59:06 – Leading like a shepherd
01:00:32 – End of show questions

Connect with Steve
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Selected links from the episode
Leading with Questions, by Michael Marquardt
The Accountability Ladder
Hatch Conference Lisbon 2026

The Desperate Gaslighting of an Increasingly Guilty-Looking Guy Who Can't Stop Pouring Gas on His Own Grease Fire