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/n today’s fast-paced industries—from UX and design to data science and product marketing—effective leadership comes down to one core skill: communication. Antony Barton has built a career leading cross-functional teams, translating customer insights into actionable strategies, and establishing credibility through direct, data-driven communication.

From shaping UX research for Facebook Stories at Meta to influencing product strategy at Intel, and now designing customer experiences at Gallagher, Antony demonstrates how insight, clarity, and authenticity can align teams, drive decisions, and deliver tangible results. We spoke with him about the communication practices that have guided his leadership journey.

Leading with Honesty and Credibility

Starry Blue Brilliance: You’ve led teams across UX, data science, design, and product marketing. What communication practices have been most effective for keeping these diverse teams aligned?
Antony Barton: Being open and direct. No BS. Tell it like it is. Sometimes as a researcher you bring back good news about a product or service, (e.g., great product market fit). Other times, you need to tell them that their ‘baby is ugly.’ You actually build credibility and trust when you show you can bring back bad news in a respectable, data-driven manner.

“You actually build credibility and trust when you show you can bring back bad news in a respectable, data-driven manner.”Antony Barton

Listening First, Speaking Second

SBB: As a researcher, you spend a lot of time observing and listening. How do those skills influence the way you communicate and lead?
AB: Being a good listener combined with the ability to ask great questions is a valuable skill and is often under-valued. Oftentimes, the less you say, the better. The more you listen, the better you understand the situation. One of the worst things I have encountered is when people talk just to hear themselves talk. When they are talking, they aren’t listening and show little interest in truly understanding the situation.

“Oftentimes, the less you say, the better. The more you listen, the better you understand the situation.”Antony Barton

Rallying Teams around a Shared Vision

SBB: Thinking about your time at Meta, when you helped reshape UX research for Facebook Stories, what was the biggest lesson learned about rallying a team around a new vision?
AB: Teams always want to know where they are going. That’s why setting a North Star is so important. Ultimately, what is it that we as a team want to achieve? Getting everyone on the team heading in the same direction is critical. And measuring progress toward that goal is key—without measurements, it’s just a meaningless statement.

Building Credibility with Stakeholders

SBB: During your time at Intel, how did your team’s insights influence product innovation or go-to-market strategies, and how did you communicate those insights to drive impact?
AB: Similar to what I said earlier, building trust with stakeholders—engineering or marketing—is essential. You do that by continually delighting them with how you work. Listen to them. Make sure you are aligned on objectives. Be open to their feedback if something isn’t working. Rinse and repeat. Prove, again and again, that you are a reliable business partner.

Balancing Data with Human Connection

SBB: Shifting to your current work at Gallagher, a large organization where relationships and credibility are key, how do you share a clear vision for customer experience that balances data insights with human connection?
AB: Working at Gallagher is a good challenge in many ways. First, it’s a new industry for me—commercial insurance brokerage and risk management. I have a lot to learn. Often when starting a project, I spend a lot of time understanding the subject of the research, including my own research (leveraging AI tools), but also sitting down with business partners to understand their business. My experience from Facebook—how an app should be built with the customer in mind—is super applicable. At Gallagher, we aren’t building apps for a billion people, but we still need to provide the best user experience possible.

Keeping Communication Clear, Simple, and Actionable

SBB: When interacting with customers in an industry that can feel complex or technical, how do you ensure your communication is clear, impactful, and actionable while fostering collaboration?
AB: I try my best to follow a few basic rules. First, keep it simple. Imagine your customers are very tired or have too much going on. Whether it’s an email, Slack message, or research report, you need to keep it simple and get to the point. Second, related to the first rule, get to the point quickly and succinctly. Third, following my own practice, keep it to 2-3 items or topics at most. Again, it is all about being simple and direct and concise in communicating. Many of my team members at Gallagher are international—English is not their first language—so a lot of my time as a manager is helping them communicate this way. It is fun helping and teaching them.

“Whether it’s an email, Slack message, or research report, you need to keep it simple and get to the point.”Antony Barton

SBB: Following on that, how do you turn customer feedback into actionable insights, and how has your approach to communicating those insights evolved to motivate teams to act on them?
AB: Bringing direct customer language into report outs is super important, and something I always try to do. For example, in qualitative research reports, I always look for customer quotes that perfectly sum up the point I’m making in the research. Nothing says it better than the customer’s own words.

Influencing Decisions through Effective Communication

SBB: Looking across your career, what moments stand out where the way you communicated directly influenced innovation or key decisions?
AB: One of my more significant projects at Intel was convincing senior leadership on the importance of a product—even when it went against what the CEO at the time was saying. I had a 30-minute presentation and literally scripted it to the minute (e.g., at ‘xyz’ moment I need to be making this point.) I’m also a big fan of ‘win your argument in 30 seconds,’ meaning you have a very short amount of time to establish your point and capture their interest.

Advice for Emerging Leaders

SBB: Finally, thinking about emerging leaders, what advice would you give them about building credibility and influence through authentic, insight-driven communication?
AB: I think a lot of what I’m talking about is keeping communication simple and concise. Nobody has time for long-winded explanations. Make your points quickly and back them with data.

Antony Barton’s career illustrates that credibility and influence are earned through honesty, simplicity, and insight-driven action. By listening deeply, aligning teams around a shared vision, and translating customer feedback into clear, actionable insights, Antony shows that communication isn’t just a leadership skill—it’s the catalyst for innovation.