What Sarah Bond Learned About Power at the Top of Xbox

Here, we talk to Sarah Bond, who stepped down as president of Xbox earlier this year after eight years with the company. Bond made history as the first Black woman to lead a major multinational gaming company, and during her tenure helped oversee the largest acquisition in gaming history. In this conversation, she reflects on being the only one in the room, what running Xbox taught her about power and leadership, and the challenge of walking away from something that had become part of her identity. She also shares why, as she considers what comes next, she’s less interested in chasing another title than figuring out what she wants to build.

You made history as the first Black woman to lead a major gaming company. What did that teach you about representation in the workplace?

I did it very aware that representation matters and the fact I’m a Black woman mattered to many people, and it is an honor to do that. Most of my career, that was true. I’ve been in many rooms where I was the only one, but what I understand is that when people talk about representation or talk about gender or race, it can often be a simplification; what really matters is not representation but the opportunity to be fully seen and heard. The difference is often not you—it’s the room and making sure you create space for others to be fully seen.

What did running Xbox teach you about leadership?

The biggest thing I learned is that leadership is about creating a realm where people can tell the truth and still move forward together—that the best rooms aren’t where everyone is agreeing. There are teams where people care enough about the work to make it better, including being willing to disagree and talk through it, and that power should make the room bigger, not smaller. You want to be in a room where everyone is excellent at what they do and, importantly, where everyone is still capable of learning. Excellence is not just about expertise; it’s not about your accolades or your achievements. It’s also about the ability to teach what you know and still having the humility to learn from someone who knows something you do not.

Is there a perspective you brought to the role that might have been missing otherwise?

There were definitely moments where the places I’ve lived, the other jobs I’ve had, the gender I have, the race I have—I had a different perspective than the other people there, and that shaped the solution we came to or the decision we came to. People say, “Oh, I would’ve never thought that.” There was one time we were looking at an ad campaign and it had this moment where a man got in an elevator, in his robe, with a woman, and I just said, “Hey—I know that everybody else thinks this is an amusing moment, but most women would get out of the elevator. You guys don’t understand. That’s not funny. You just literally get out on the next floor.” So it did not end up in the final cut.

When you decided to step away, what did that feel like, and what was the hardest part about leaving?

I was so proud of what we built at Xbox but also very aware that careers are not only about continuing what already exists, that there are moments when the next contribution needs a different kind of space. When you spend a long time inside something that’s large and meaningful and means a lot to other people, it can become a part of your identity, whether you intend it or not. You work with a team and a set of people. You build relationships that have real meaning. We had a final all-hands—people came up to me, people were crying, people were hugging me. There was one particular person, she said, “I don’t know how to do this without you.” And I responded, “It was never me...your power sits inside of you. It doesn’t come from any other person.”

What do you want this next chapter to look like?

I’m thinking less about announcing the next title and more about understanding the next real contribution. I’m interested in the places where technology meets human life more directly. I don’t want to just build something because I can—I want to build it because it should exist. There’s this deeper version of founder mode that interests me, which is: Before you found a company, before you do your best work, you first have to found yourself. You have to understand what you’re here to build, what problem you can see, what kind of energy you’re willing to give to it. You have to know yourself first.