My Leadership Philosophy

My leadership style is centered on enablement rather than enforcement, focusing on building bridges instead of cracking whips. I believe in providing autonomy and accountability, rather than micromanagement or simply giving orders. As a leader, I see myself as a facilitator who inspires, sets clear visions, and clears obstacles, empowering my team to perform at their best. I hold my team accountable for their work, providing them with the resources and support they need while allowing them the freedom to achieve the set goals. Transparency, teamwork, and ownership are key to creating a winning team.

I hire individuals with an ‘entrepreneurial spirit’, motivated to make decisions and achieve results through their own ingenuity. My role is to set clear objectives and allow my team the flexibility to determine how to reach them. I emphasize pushing decision-making and accountability as far down the chain as possible, fostering a team of leaders rather than followers.

My Commitments

  • Weekly 1:1 meetings are a priority, focusing on your success and well-being.

  • 1:1 topics include progress towards goals, feedback, career growth, and connecting work to the larger mission.

  • You have the freedom to determine how you complete your work; my focus is on outcomes.

  • I trust you to make design decisions, providing guidance as needed.

  • Openness, transparency, and candor are valued; feedback is given promptly.

  • I am committed to listening patiently and seeking to understand.

  • You manage your time, prioritizing personal and family well-being.

  • You can speak directly with senior management without needing my approval.

  • Credit is given where due, recognizing team contributions accurately.

  • I invest in your career growth, ensuring work assignments are mutually beneficial.

  • Provide feedback, even if it means telling me when I'm wrong.

  • Collaborate and seek feedback early, involving others in the process.

  • Treat each other with empathy and respect, seeing colleagues as whole people.

  • Present multiple ideas when exploring solutions.

  • Always be learning and experimenting.

  • Recognize and mitigate biases in your work.

  • Understand and empathize with partners as much as users.

  • Prioritize focused work time.

  • Define and respect your non-negotiables to maintain mental health.

  • Take accountability for business impact, contributing to growth areas.

My Asks

Companies I’ve Collaborated With

I mentor through learning together, listening, collaborating, and teaching. Experiencing great design together, regular 1:1s, and pair design sessions are ways I engage with my team.

I focus on understanding each individual's unique creative process, career goals, and the inputs they need for success.

Mentoring Strategy

Leadership Pillars

1.

Give Trust & Autonomy: I assign problems to solve rather than dictating solutions, providing "air cover" while trusting the team to innovate.

2.

Care Personally: I invest in knowing team members as whole people, understanding their personal and professional goals, and supporting their unique creative processes.

3.

Principles-Based Mentoring: Together with the team, I establish creative standards, attitudes, and commitments that guide our work and collaboration.

4.

Promote a Culture of 'Radical Candor': I challenge and praise directly, seeking and giving honest feedback while maintaining a focus on people's humanity.

Leadership Values

My leadership is rooted in the belief that people are foundational to building great things. I strive for success across four key areas: People, Partners, Projects, and Processes. I care deeply about my team, helping them grow into high-performing leaders. I work to ensure design has a seat at the table, fostering strong partnerships and aligning projects with strategic goals. By maintaining the right processes, we ensure that our work is customer-driven and of the highest quality.

What People Say About My Leadership

  • Mondana is a fantastic leader who advocates for human-centered product development every step of the way – from educating our org on UX best practices to identifying opportunities to unify and improve the end-to-end user experience on our platform. Collaborating with Mondana is awesome! She has a special talent for bringing people together and driving alignment across multiple workstreams. Whether she’s running a team meeting or a large workshop with cross-functional stakeholders, she’s able to navigate all the complex moving parts and drive everyone toward an outcome. I'd highly recommend working with her!

    Sarah Conlon

    Product Designer - American Express

  • Mondana is an exceptional people leader. She is dedicated to nurturing talent and supporting career growth within her team. Her mentorship and guidance have been invaluable, helping me personally develop my skills and advance my career. Mondana’s leadership style is both inspiring and supportive, creating an environment where I felt empowered to thrive and contribute my best.Mondana’s leadership in steering our team’s design strategy has been transformative. She inspires and aligns the team with a clear vision, driving innovation and enhancing our design processes. Her strategic direction and supportive approach have significantly boosted our team’s performance.

    Rachel Williams Belter

    Digital Accessibility Specialist - American Express

  • Mondana is one of the best managers I have ever had. She is a compassionate leader who leads by example, demonstrating care and kindness. She provides enough freedom for her team to excel while offering the right support when needed. Mondana allows her team members to shine in their roles and ensures they receive the credit they deserve. She tailors her management approach according to each individual’s skills and experience, recognizing that one size does not fit all. Additionally, she advocates on behalf of her team members, promoting them to leadership for future advancement. I highly recommend Mondana for any organization that values emotional intelligence and true leadership.

    Ernesto Espinoza

    Senior Product Designer - American Express

  • It has been such a pleasure and privilege working with Mondana for the last year. She came to lead our team during a difficult time for us, we were lost and burned out working with a difficult product team and complex system. She managed to bring us all together with that contagious positive energy, creating a positive and collaborative work environment. She has the capacity of bringing out the best of anybody working with her. Under her guidance our team implemented a remarkable design and research work process that the product team trusted. That got translated in doubling the budget for the following year. She set up our team for success and a bright future ahead! Anyone will be lucky to have her leading their team.

    Javier Campana

    Senior Product Designer - America Express

  • Under her leadership we were able to successfully set up net-new concept development and rapid iteration processes which included research. Mondana always had product strategy and long term vision top of mind, this ensured the projects we picked up were user-centered and innovative products. Her leadership allowed the team to thrive by finding the right balance between autonomy while providing us the necessary support and resources for us to succeed. She demonstrated a clear vision and the ability to articulate it, inspiring us to work towards company and individual goals harmoniously.  She was also a positive energy in the team - with a cheerful and motivating demeanor which was infectious and made our meetings that much more enjoyable. In short Mondana's expertise in leadership and product design strategy positions her as a valuable asset in any organization, driving innovation and fostering a productive, motivated team environment.

    Carlos Castro

    Senior Product Designer - American Express