Reflections on Supercell’s growth and culture from Co-Chief People Officer Lesley Mansford
Since 2022, I’ve had the privilege of working with with Lesley Mansford, Co-Chief People Officer at Supercell, as a strategic advisor for learning and culture during a pivotal period of growth and cultural evolution. I supported her and her team as they navigated the challenges of scaling a high-trust, high-impact organization. Here, Lesley shares her reflections on her own leadership, Supercell’s unique culture, and why investing in people remains the the company’s greatest asset. This conversation offers a rare look at the leadership and culture strategies that keep Supercell thriving and will inspire your own cultural leadership journey.
1. You’ve had a pretty amazing career. What about your leadership has evolved the most over time, and what has stayed consistent?
What’s stayed consistent is my deep belief that people are the heart of everything. From my earliest days in the industry to today, I’ve always believed that when you create the right environment—one of trust, autonomy, and shared purpose—people will not only do their best work, but also grow in transformative ways.
What’s evolved most is my approach to control. Earlier in my career, I felt a sense of responsibility to direct outcomes. Over time, I’ve learned that the best leadership is about creating the conditions for others to thrive and trusting the process. That shift—from driving outcomes to enabling them—has been the most powerful and liberating evolution in my leadership.
2. Where does your passion and commitment to learning and culture come from and why is it so important to you?
It comes from a deep curiosity about people and what helps them unlock their potential. I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior, motivation, and how learning environments shape individuals and teams. I’ve seen firsthand that culture isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living system that either enables or inhibits growth.
Learning and culture are the core levers for impact. When people feel psychologically safe, are deeply connected to purpose, and have the tools and support to grow, extraordinary things happen. And when that becomes systemic—embedded in the culture—it scales.
3. Why is investing in learning and culture so important to Supercell?
At Supercell, our success depends entirely on the quality of decisions our teams make. We don’t have layers of approvals or rigid hierarchies—we trust our cells to lead. That only works when people are continuously growing, self-aware, and aligned on shared values.
Investing in learning and culture is how we keep that autonomy strong and healthy. It ensures that even as we grow, we don't lose what makes us special. It’s also how we attract and retain the kind of people who thrive here—those who want to push boundaries, take smart risks, and work in a high-trust environment.
4. You’ve overseen Learning, Talent Management, and Culture through a pivotal stretch of growth. What stands out to you as the biggest wins or breakthroughs across these areas?
One of the biggest wins has been how we’ve evolved and scaled our onboarding to truly reflect who we are. We’ve made it more immersive, more personal, and more connected to our culture—helping new Supercellians land with clarity and confidence.
Another major breakthrough has been the evolution of our leads—from IC’s to true people leaders. We’ve invested in that transition with new development programs, peer-based learning, and our twice-yearly Leads Summit, which has become a powerful space for connection, reflection, and shared growth. It’s helped us reinforce that leadership here isn’t about hierarchy—it’s about impact, self-awareness, and service to the team.
We’ve also made meaningful strides in well-being, particularly around mental health and sustaining high performance. We’ve challenged the myth that you have to choose between excellence and care. At Supercell, we believe you can—and must—have both.
But maybe most importantly, we’ve protected and evolved our culture on purpose—with intention and creativity—even as we scaled rapidly. The development of our values and behaviors has been a defining moment: articulating not just what we believe, but how we show up for one another. That’s rare—and it’s something I’m deeply proud of.
5. Now that Supercell is 2x bigger than it used to be three years ago when I first started working with you, what are new challenges you’re solving for that didn’t exist then?
Scale introduces complexity—both structural and emotional. One challenge is preserving the sense of intimacy, ownership, and speed within cells, while also enabling better cross-cell collaboration. That requires new cultural muscles and systems that still respect autonomy.
Another challenge is alignment—when you’re smaller, alignment is organic. Now, we need more intentional rituals and shared language to stay connected to our North Star. And we’re also navigating greater diversity—across backgrounds, experiences, and expectations—which is a gift but also requires more inclusive leadership practices and thoughtful onboarding into the Supercell way.
6. Supercell is known for its standout culture. To what extent have you drawn from traditional best practices and where have you had to invent your own playbook?
We’ve certainly learned from others—great companies, research, and thought leaders. But we’ve also unlearned a lot. Traditional best practices often assume top-down control and standardization. That doesn’t work here.
We’ve had to invent our own playbook rooted in context, not control. That’s meant co-creating culture with our teams, building flexible systems that can adapt to each cell, and prioritizing conversations over policies. It’s also meant being okay with ambiguity—embracing emergence instead of enforcing uniformity.
Our culture work is less about designing frameworks and more about creating space for the right questions to be asked—and answered together.
7. Supercell just celebrated its 15th birthday. When it looks back on this era years from now, what do you hope people will remember? What do you hope to celebrate in its 30th birthday?
I hope people remember this era as a time when we didn’t just preserve our culture—we evolved it courageously. When we chose learning over ego. When we leaned into discomfort, took care of each other, and stayed committed to building something exceptional.
At our 30th birthday, I hope we’re celebrating not just games that have stood the test of time, but a company that helped redefine what’s possible when you lead with trust and humanity. I hope Supercell continues to be a place where people do the most meaningful, joyful, and impactful work of their lives—and that the ripple effect of our culture is felt far beyond our walls.