Creative Friction Sparks Innovation with Sandy Fershee

"The intersection of customer desirability, business viability, and technical feasibility is where innovation thrives."

Sandy Fershee, Chief Design Officer at Audible

What if innovation isn’t just for a select few, but something every single person can access and contribute to?

In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I had the chance to chat with Sandy Fershee, the Head of Design & User Experience at Audible.

Sandy shares exciting insights about innovation - but this is one of my favorites: innovation is not reserved for a select few, but it’s a skill and a way of thinking that everyone can contribute to.

We talked about the importance of curiosity, creating psychological safety within teams, and how failure is just a part of the process of growth and learning.

Sandy also shared her experiences on how diverse perspectives and strong leadership can help unlock creativity and fuel innovation.

Here’s what you’ll get out of this episode:

• Innovation is for Everyone: Innovation doesn’t need to be limited to a special group of people. Everyone, regardless of their role, can offer valuable ideas and contribute to innovation in some way.

• Creating Psychological Safety: It’s vital to create an environment where people feel safe to experiment, fail, and learn without the fear of judgment or failure.

• Curiosity Drives Innovation: Asking questions and digging deeper—always asking "why" in a gentle curious way—is how you uncover new possibilities and inspire fresh ideas.

• Failure as a Learning Opportunity: Failure isn’t the end—it’s part of the journey. By reflecting on what went wrong, you can adjust, learn, and do better next time.

• The Power of Diverse Teams: Bringing together people from different backgrounds and disciplines leads to more creative solutions and richer ideas.

• Leadership for Innovation: As a leader, it’s crucial to encourage small experiments, fast iterations, and building confidence. These actions can help keep innovation alive and moving forward.

Sandy’s drive to solve human problems through design and innovation is infectious. I hope joining this conversation will get you fired up for creating meaningful innovation with impact.

You are always welcome to take a seat at the table where every conversation has the potential for transformative change.