This isn't your typical leadership interview. We're sitting here doing a BuzzFeed quiz together – apparently a weekly tradition he started with his team. "It was this ridiculous 'hot girl aesthetic' quiz," he recalls, laughing about how it became a cherished team ritual. It's immediately clear that this is someone who leads not from a management textbook, but from a place of authentic human connection.
The Orbit: In your own words. Who are you?
Hey hey. I am Kris Litson and I am the Head of Software Communications at Wikimedia Deutschland. My team acts primarily as a conduit between Wiki communities around the globe, especially Wikidata and Wikibase, and WMDE’s software development department. My role is to make sure that works as smoothly as possible and that everyone is happy.
The Orbit: People say you’re a very liked boss—what’s your secret?
Kris: I’m fucking hilarious. I’m very much myself and I let others be themselves too. I provide excellent advice and useful support. I build pathways and I remove blockers. If upper management does something dumb, I push back. It’s honestly no secret. You just be a good person and help your people be their best selves.
The Orbit: You mentioned letting others be themselves - can you share a time when supporting someone's authenticity at work led to an unexpected win?
Kris: This happens all the time. Letting my people pursue their own goals and own desires has seen us create new connections and communities in Africa and Asia, provide monetary and technical support to groups around the world, and seen several team members create and own new positions within the organisations based on their passions aligning with business needs.
The Orbit: How would you describe your leadership style in one sentence?
Kris: I use a version of Servant Leadership
The Orbit: What’s the most important thing a leader can do to build trust within their team?
Kris: Trust them first. Why should they trust you or each other if you don’t trust them? It’s a simple way to lead by example and develop team members.
The Orbit: What’s your go-to strategy when team morale dips?
Kris: Talk it out. Lots of things can suck about a job, even a really good one. As long as your team trusts you and are willing to speak candidly with you, you can find out what these issues are and address them before they become problematic.
The Orbit: Have you ever had to make a tough decision that might’ve upset your team? How did you navigate that?
Kris: I have to do this all the time. I’ve done it twice in the last four weeks. We’ve built up so much trust that my team believes me when I say something is for the best. They may not like it, but they’re willing to listen to my reasoning rather than immediately becoming frustrated. It helps that my reasoning is (usually) sound.
The Orbit: How do you balance keeping a team happy while still hitting big goals?
Kris: I give my team a lot of flexibility in setting their goals as long as they fit my strategy. That means they’re often pursuing targets that they’re interested in which keeps them happy and me on target.
The Orbit: What makes a great team dynamic?
Kris: Sharing stories. It’s easy for people to work in silos and, once there, assume no one else is doing anything. If you’re sharing what’s happening, laughing at fuck-ups, and celebrating wins people will just naturally bond.
The Orbit: How do you handle difficult conversations or conflicts?
Kris: Just have the conversations as soon as you can. Listen openly. Don’t judge and don’t blame, instead build lessons for the future. Most importantly, keep in mind that this will always be hard, but it will only get worse if ignored.
The Orbit: What’s one thing you’ve learned from your team that changed the way you lead?
Kris: That I’m actually really good at what I do. My team is incredibly supportive and we’ve all grown over the last few years. That support and that confidence has made me really believe in what I do and how I do it.
The Orbit: What’s a lighthearted moment at work that you think defines your leadership style?
Kris: Every week at the start of our team meeting we do a BuzzFeed Quiz Party together about something really ridiculous. I think this was the first.
The Orbit: The BuzzFeed quizzes are brilliant - how did that tradition start, and what happened when you first suggested it?
Kris: They're actually a follow up to a game we used to play where a question would be proposed and people would discuss and vote. After a while I ran out of questions to ask and just cheated by putting in a quiz. It was a hit from the very first time and has only gotten better with the Quiz Party feature. It's also much less effort, so win-win.
The Orbit: What’s your number one tip for new managers or leaders?
Kris: Don’t avoid critical feedback or hard conversations. They initially hurt, but everyone gets better afterwards.
The Orbit: What’s your secret to staying cool when everything feels like it’s on fire? (Metaphorically, of course.)
Kris: That’s my secret. I always feel like everything is on fire. More helpfully, work the problem. Most issues aren’t anywhere near as complicated as they seem once you know what’s actually wrong. Fix it. Own it. Prepare better next time.
The Orbit: You said you always feel like everything's on fire - tell me about a time when it actually was. What happened?
Kris: Honestly, I don't know if it ever has been. My brain is just overly dramatic. I've had some not great times, especially in the gaming industry, but in the end they're all just problems that need to be worked out. Though I did accidentally set my house on fire once…
The Orbit: What?
Kris: What?
The Orbit: You set your house on fire?
Kris: Oh! Yeah, well, apparently at the nexus of homemade fries, hangover brain and buildings not up to code, there's fire. The oil caught alight, the fire leapt up and then the inside of the ceiling started to burn. The full version of the story is great, but it doesn't really fit here. Hehe.
The Orbit: What's the most creative solution you've ever come up with for a team problem?
Kris: I don't know if I've ever had a particularly creative idea for solving a team problem. I usually just talk it out.
The Orbit: What's something leading your current team has taught you about yourself?
Kris: That I'm actually a great lead and people do want to hear my voice so I should speak more often.
The Orbit: Tell me about a time when you were completely out of your depth as a leader - how did you handle it?
Kris: Interpersonal issues and almost every time they come up I feel out of my depth. I've had to deal with some very hairy topics including racism, the Indian caste system and homophobia. The only way to handle these topics is to have difficult conversations and try to educate people. Failing that, sometimes the only option is to fire someone. Not everyone wants to embrace difference.
The Orbit: You seem very comfortable in your leadership style now - was there a specific moment that helped you find your voice?
Kris: No, it's definitely been a gradual process. I've learnt different aspects at different jobs, but at Wikimedia I've been allowed to run things my way. I mean, I always did run things my way and, despite getting excellent results it usually made the corporate types mad. But having the mandate to do it has really allowed me to embrace my style and openly demonstrate to others how effective it is.
The Orbit: Your team seems to have a strong culture - what's something that took real effort to build but was totally worth it?
Kris: The easy sense of camaraderie, the effortless expression of care and support, and the communication between all the team members. That doesn't just happen. You need to find ways for people to interact and spaces in which for that to happen. Lots of people say this isn't possible in a remote work environment, but my team is almost exclusively remote - myself included - and it's just nonsense.
The Orbit: What's something that would immediately tell you a potential new hire would fit well with your team?
Kris: Our interview is an engaging and fun conversation, not an interrogation. I strongly believe that you can teach most people most skills, but soft skills are really hard to transfer. Having these from the outset is a huge sign that they can fit in.
That and laughing at my jokes.
The Orbit: What's a leadership principle you used to believe in strongly but have since changed your mind about?
Kris: At the risk of sounding pig headed and arrogant, I've always believed strongly in the leadership principles I hold now. They're flexible at the person level as you need different approaches for different humans, but ultimately I trust in people.
I've never bought into the beliefs that no one wants to work or that people don't want to do a good job. People's work almost inevitably reflects their environment. Pressuring, scrutinising and punishing just results in unhappy people and unhappy people don't do good work.
The Orbit: Tell me about a time when your humor or authenticity at work actually backfired - how did you handle it?
Kris: Being funny isn't appreciated by every boss. Nor is my Australian propensity for swearing. So there have been more than a few times in Germany that I've gotten in trouble. I would try to handle it by moderating myself, but the masking is exhausting. Ultimately, I either left those jobs or they left me as I just didn't fit.
The Orbit: What's the worst advice you've ever received about being a leader?
Kris: You can't be friends with your employees. Complete nonsense uttered by people that either can't make friends or don't have close enough friends that they can be honest with them.
Also something to note somewhere, good leaders surround themselves with competent and complementary people. You need people who can and will tell you that you're wrong and be able to explain why. You need people that can provide different perspectives to you so you can make informed decisions.
The Orbit: Thank you Kris!
Kris is also behind the substack Kris Rants. Give him a read!
I really loved this interview 👏 leaders should take notes
Thank you, Kris! It’s so encouraging to see a leader who truly cares about their team and understands that this is also what drives real productivity. That’s the difference between simply being a boss and actually leading. 🪐👾