At the 2025 American Express Leadership Academy in London, designer Jonathan Anderson brought a different kind of toolkit to the table. The newly appointed creative director of Dior and founder of JW Anderson joined journalist Alexander Fury for a conversation that, while unexpected on paper, offered revealing insights into Anderson’s leadership style.

“There’s always something to learn, and I always have something to prove,” Anderson said, addressing a group of 71 nonprofit leaders from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Hosted in partnership with Common Purpose, the Academy offers storytelling workshops, immersive visits with other nonprofits, and group projects on topics like building an innovative mindset.

Images courtesy of American Express

Anderson, who’s known for pushing boundaries in fashion, brought sharp clarity to topics like teamwork, mentorship, and resilience. “Choose people for your team that you’d want to spend 24 hours a day with,” he said. “We all have to go towards the ball and figure out how to get efficiencies from others.”

On staying grounded in a leadership role, he offered this: “The minute you come off the ground, descent happens. People want a leader on the ground with two feet on the ground.”

Images courtesy of American Express

The talk wasn’t about fashion so much as it was about philosophy. On trust and the creative risk it takes to lead a luxury house, or any business for that matter. “Give your team the tools they need to succeed and the trust to empower them,” Anderson said. “If you are scared of mistakes, you will go nowhere.”

Images courtesy of American Express

Since launching in 2007, the Academy has invested over $100 million in leadership development, reaching over 165,000 leaders globally. For many in the room, Anderson’s message landed as both personal and practical.

As the Academy heads to New York in November, Anderson’s philosophy remains: creative leadership isn’t about control, it’s about presence.