Leading Voices: how Fabletics’ Jam Barton wins respect, encourages engagement, and leads unstoppable teams.

One of Jam’s earliest leadership challenges was stepping into a training role at 21, often leading people who were older, more experienced, and not immediately convinced that she should be there. Jam didn’t try to overcome that with confidence alone. Instead, she focused on competence. 

‘I studied everything,” she says. “I studied Excel, built my own dashboard, and I learned every tool we had. Over time, the conversation shifted from, “She's so young!” to, "She knows what she’s doing.”’ 

It’s a leadership lesson that couldn’t be more crucial. In CX, where teams are large, and performance is visible, credibility is rarely granted upfront - especially for underrepresented voices. Rather than projecting authority, successful leaders command respect through undeniable consistency and depth of knowledge. 

For those stepping into new roles or managing teams with more experience, this is often the fastest path to alignment. First, know the work. Then lead it.

Early in her career, Jam describes herself as highly structured and process-driven. 

‘I was very by the book,’ she admits, explaining that she began with little patience for anything that fell outside of defined workflows. That approach created control, but, over time, she realized that it also created limitations. What shifted was her understanding of what actually drives performance. 

‘Leadership isn’t really about ego or hierarchy. It’s about building an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing and getting better together.’ 

This evolution reflects a broader truth in CX. Processes create consistency, but, in isolation, they can’t create engagement. And without engagement, performance plateaus. Jam’s focus moved from enforcing standards to investing in people: listening more, creating space for feedback, recognizing that the team often sees what the leader cannot. The result of making space for horizontal innovation and spontaneity is not just a better culture. It’s better outcomes.

One of the more practical lessons Jam shares is how she handles setbacks, especially in environments where priorities shift quickly, and plans rarely hold. Her approach is captured in a phrase she has carried with her throughout her career:

‘Work now, cry later.’

It might seem harsh, but behind the simplicity of that line is a clear operating principle. When something goes wrong, the priority is not reaction. It’s resolution. Jam explains that getting caught up in the emotions of each moment slows everything down. Instead, she focuses on solving the problem, keeping the team moving, and maintaining momentum. 

Only after the work is done does she step back to reflect, reset, and process. And more often than not? The challenge ends in success and celebration with her teammates, tears long forgotten. For CX leaders, stoicism is a critical discipline. When teams lose momentum, it’s often less directly a result of problems themselves and more to do with how their leaders tackle them.

Another benefit to gleaning insights from seasoned leaders like Jam? Avoiding having to learn mistakes the hard way. The next tip Jam reflects on is something she wishes she had done differently. Early in her career, being the youngest in the room and often the only woman meant it was often easier for her to hold back, even when she had something valuable to contribute. 

‘I wish someone had told me earlier that I had the right to speak up, especially when I had a point to make,’ she explains when asked about the advice she wishes she had received back then. 

Recognizing first-hand that great ideas don’t discriminate based on personal profiles or organizational hierarchies has fundamentally defined how Jam leads today. In every moment where decisions are being made - and where ideas are being tested - she actively creates space for her team to contribute, not just execute. 

For ambitious organizations, it’s more than a matter of inclusivity and engagement. It’s a vital tool in preventing blind spots and unlocking new possibilities. If teams are not speaking up, leaders are operating with incomplete information. And the most pivotal perspectives tend to be those least often voiced.

As AI becomes more embedded in CX, Jam’s leadership perspective is grounded in how it impacts her most essential asset - her people. In this respect, her stance is clear. AI shouldn’t replace or placate them. It should make people better at their jobs. 

One of the ways she applies this is through an AI coach that helps agents during training. Instead of relying solely on static content, agents can ask for examples, explore scenarios, and deepen their understanding in real time. The next step is even more targeted: using performance data to identify gaps and recommend exactly what someone needs to improve. 

‘The goal is not more training. It’s smarter and more personalized learning.’

This reflects a shift many CX organizations are still working toward. AI is not just a tool for efficiency. It is a tool for supercharging capability with a degree of personalization previously unthinkable. When used well, it shortens learning curves, builds confidence, and allows teams to perform at a higher level, faster.

When it comes to keeping pace with the future of CX, so many leaders are focused on the topic of what AI can do now and where it might be going. This is another area where Jam takes a people-centred approach.

‘What I am really curious about is what humans will do next, how we adapt, how we stay relevant, and how we use our creativity in a world where machines can do so much.’

Far from the tech-determinism that so many have accepted, she recognizes that the direction of transformation comes down to us. Given the vast and increasing possibilities, the future of CX can’t be decided by tools alone. Instead, there’s more span than ever for the leaders and teams that harness them to rethink and restructure how they work, learn, and create value.

What stands out in Jam Barton’s journey is not a single, static strategy. It is a pattern of learning, implementing, and optimizing. Earn credibility through work. Shift from managing processes to enabling people. Protect momentum when things get hard. Speak up and create space for others to do the same. And use AI to elevate, not replace.

For CX leaders navigating constant change, these lessons are not theoretical. They are practical, repeatable, and increasingly necessary. Because in the end, the future of CX will not be defined by technology alone. It will be defined by how well leaders develop the people using it.