Why Senior Leaders Need External Learning Communities

When you lead a function, especially a specialised one like UX Research, you often find yourself alone at the leadership table. You’re expected to influence strategy, support cross-functional partners, and guide your team through complexity. But where do you go to reflect, recharge, and grow?

UX Research leadership can be particularly lonely. We often operate at the intersection of product and design, yet we’re not quite either. We’re researchers. And while we collaborate daily with others, true peer-to-peer exchange is rare, especially with those who understand the nuance of leading research in large, complex organisations.

That’s why last week’s Dynata EMEA Corporate Client Executive Event at Château Suduiraut in Bordeaux felt so special. It wasn’t just a beautifully curated experience; it was a true learning gathering. It is an intimate, invite-only event designed for senior leaders to connect, share, and grow together, free from internal politics, posturing, or pressure.

What stood out most was the mix of people in the room. As someone who leads UX research in a product-driven environment, I found it refreshing to be surrounded by insights leaders from brand, marketing, and strategy. On paper, we were not quite alike, but in practice, we were all researchers. We shared a common language around evidence, influence, and the complexity of driving change through insight.

We were treated to a series of brilliant and heartfelt talks, each one feeding both the mind and the soul.

Adventurer AnnaMcNuff.com shared the incredible story of her journey across South America on a bike alongside a friend. She brought to life both the joy and the challenges of the road: the breathtaking moments, the tough stretches, the unexpected kindness, and the power of human connection. Her story resonated with many of us, mirroring the emotional ups and downs we face as leaders. Her energy was contagious, her authenticity disarming. She has such a good heart, and I’m looking forward to staying connected with her.

Then Job van den Berg, an AI expert, gave a fantastic talk on the evolution of AI, layer by layer, guiding us through the AI pyramid. It wasn’t just a presentation; it was a conversation. We explored how AI is developing, what it means for our roles, and how it can support us in making better, faster, and more informed decisions. It was both energising and empowering.

What made this session particularly rich was the depth of the discussion, encompassing ethics, data protection, and the quality of information AI provides, especially when it conducts in-depth searches across various sources. How do we control the content leveraged by AI? How do we ensure autonomy, transparency, and fairness? We also reflected on the global race, what’s happening in the US and China and how far ahead they are compared to the rest of us. These conversations felt urgent, necessary, and thought-provoking.

We also had a deeply practical and strategic session with behavioural scientist Dr. Liubov Ruchinskaya, who introduced a new model for structuring research priorities and how to organise better and frame our work to enable more strategic, higher-impact insights. Her approach made us reflect on how we structure research teams and the types of insight we should focus on when looking to drive meaningful change.

This was especially interesting for me, as I saw clear similarities with the infrastructure I’ve put in place within my UX Research team. I’ll be sharing more about this approach in the autumn with the release of Volume 1 of my upcoming book, The UX Research Powerhouse: foundations of UX Research Leadership. If you're interested in being informed when it launches, you can sign up https://forms.gle/rbctU2nejfpRT9iu6.

The event concluded with a client panel, which I was honoured to be part of. We explored the future of insights and research, how AI is shaping the landscape, what the ideal team structure might look like, and how we, as research leaders, can drive influence at the highest levels of our organisations. The discussion was honest, energising, and grounded in shared experience.

As one participant said:

“It’s rare to find an event that manages to inspire, challenge, and connect in equal measure. Hats off to Stefan Boom and the Dynata crew for pulling it off — and to everyone who brought their perspectives to the table. I left with fresh ideas and deeper connections.”

Everything, from the speakers to the setting, the food, the wine, and the atmosphere, was intentional. And it worked. Because when leaders are treated as humans, not just roles, we show up differently.

If you’re a leader, especially a solo function leader, find your learning community. Seek out these spaces. You owe it to yourself and to your team.

Huge thanks to everyone at Dynata, especially Stefan Boomfor, for creating the conditions that made this kind of connection possible. It’s not just good for business; it’s essential for leadership.

Renske Hoekstra-Dings, Maleen Wenning , Edwin Taborda, Ariën Breunis, Anna-Sterre Mees, Vladimiros Kyrkimtzis, Claudiu Runcan, Hans Zijlstra, Stan Knoops, Georgia Lewin, Shamantak Mukhopadhyay, Simon Livoreil, Deirdre Thomas, Thibault Marquié, Stephen Ward, Paul Woudstra & Caspar Overgaauw.

#leadership #research #insights #bordeaux #Growth hashtag#AI hashtag#InsightsLeadership hashtag#StrategicForesight #ChâteauSuduiraut

🔗 Want to explore more UX research? Check out my work, podcast, and upcoming masterclasses: https://linktr.ee/emmanuellesavarit