Jason Lamb on Leading from the Middle

Like many managers, Jason Lamb started his leadership journey in unexpected places—from dungeon mastering D&D campaigns to coordinating military simulation games. But his real breakthrough came when he discovered a fundamental truth about team building that many corporate leaders miss entirely. While many managers obsess over processes, automation, and organizational charts, Jason found that the secret to building high-performing teams isn’t about systems at all—it’s about recognizing that “everybody is a person first.” This isn’t just feel-good management speak—it’s a strategic approach that recognizes human connection as the most efficient path to results.

Jason’s method builds from practical application. When assembling a team, he doesn’t just look at technical skills or experience levels. Instead, he starts with culture: “…identify first before you talk to anybody what is the culture that you want in your team.” This means deciding whether you want the nine-to-five crowd or the team that stays late when needed, not just required. It means deciding whether you want formal interactions or casual joking around. Culture isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation that determines everything else.

Once culture is defined, Jason focuses on building diversity in personality types using the DISC assessment framework. He needs his decisive D-types who can make tough calls, his collaborative I-types who keep morale up, his steady S-types who execute quietly, and his analytical C-types who provide critical details. As he puts it, “I don’t want everybody in a room that’s just gonna be D’s yelling at each other.” This diversity isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for handling the complex challenges that teams face.

Jason’s method also includes practical wisdom about avoiding common pitfalls. He warns against perfectionism, noting how his own team “flopped” on a project because “we were letting perfect be the enemy of good.” Instead, he advocates for getting wins out the door quickly and iterating based on feedback. He also emphasizes the importance of asking “why” repeatedly until you reach fundamental truths, treating symptoms versus causes.

But perhaps the most counterintuitive aspect of Jason’s approach is his emphasis on vulnerability as a leadership strength. “I think that true power comes from the ability to be vulnerable,” he explains. “I’m not Superman. I’m not going to be able to fix all your issues. I’m here to help. I love you guys. You’re great. But I’m not going to know every answer.” This vulnerability builds trust, and trust is what transforms a group of individuals into a cohesive team.

Jason’s journey from computer repair shop worker to engineering team lead at a major bank proves that leadership skills can be developed anywhere—even in D&D campaigns and video games. His success comes from understanding that team building isn’t about finding the perfect people; it’s about creating an environment where imperfect people can do their best work together and that means creating conditions where everyone feels valued and engaged.

In a world increasingly dominated by technology-driven threats, zero-sum calculations, and ever-increasing attention demands, Jason’s human-first philosophy offers a roadmap for building teams that don’t just function—they thrive.