Julie Zhuo: Secret Sauce to Success-Teams, Culture and the Future of Management

Julie Zhuo is the former VP of Product Design at Facebook, where she rose from intern to executive as the company scaled into a global powerhouse. Renowned for her human-centered approach to leadership, Julie is the co-founder of Sundial, a startup that leverages data and AI to help companies make better decisions. She’s also the bestselling author of "The Making of a Manager," an essential guide for new managers navigating the changing landscape of leadership. Julie is passionate about building thoughtful cultures, empowering people, and tackling big, meaningful problems with teams she loves. Takeaways: Managers (and Leaders) Aren’t Born, They’re Made: Julie stresses that effective management is a skill that can be learned and developed—what matters most is a desire for growth, self-awareness, and the willingness to focus on team outcomes rather than just individual output. The Power of Culture and Removing Toxins: Julie highlights the importance of a healthy team culture and the danger of tolerating toxic behaviors—even from high performers—because doing so stifles the potential of the whole group. AI Is Redefining Leadership: As AI and automation increasingly handle outputs, the value of managers will be in guiding teams through change, reinforcing core human values, and focusing on outcomes that matter most.