Rebuildig a Creative Team | Lockton
Challenge
After more than two decades under the same leadership, the Lockton Founders creative team had developed strong operational discipline but was showing signs of strain. Heavy workloads, unclear career progression, and an emphasis on production over creative development had contributed to burnout and retention challenges. At the same time, demand for creative services continued to grow, making it essential to strengthen the team without slowing the business.
The opportunity wasn't simply to improve output — it was to create greater clarity around roles, expectations, and individual growth while building an environment where people felt supported, trusted, and empowered to do their best work.
“Under his leadership, I was able to lean into my strengths in a way that felt both natural and impactful. That kind of intuitive and empathetic management is hard to come by, especially in fast-paced creative environments.”
— Jonna Shaw, Creative Manager
Contribution
Established a leadership approach centered on trust, clarity, and coaching, recognizing that sustainable creative performance depends as much on people as process.
Worked closely with team members to better align responsibilities with individual strengths, clarify expectations, create meaningful career progression, and introduce a more collaborative coaching model through regular one-on-one conversations, feedback, and team communication.
Restructured roles and responsibilities to better support both the organization's growing creative demands and the long-term development of the team, helping create an environment where creative professionals could take greater ownership of their work while maintaining operational excellence.
Outcome
During an eight-month period, employee engagement surveys reflected measurable improvements in team cohesion, organizational support, and confidence in the working environment, including:
Employees knew how to access the resources they needed (30% → 73% favorable)
+43
Employees felt the organization cared about their well-being (65% → 87%)
+22
Employees felt supported in balancing work and family (55% → 77%)
+22
Employees reported a stronger sense of togetherness (55% → 73%)
+18
“David’s ability to lead others towards success was proven many times over.”
— Hannah Byers, Associate Graphic Designer