LEADERSHIP IS demonstrated by an individual’s commitment to apply their principles consistently and transparently over time and across contexts. My leadership commitment is applied according to the following principles:

LEADERSHIP IS LISTENING

Leaders should always be prepared to take charge of the conversation, but influence is most often and effectively achieved through active listening.

While this is true of most any human interaction, it is especially true of design culture for two reasons.

First, I believe a diverse community with a vibrant range of perspectives is the keystone of great product design.

Second, on a more mechanical level, I’ve found it is nearly impossible for the average (and even exceptional) designer to process external direction unless and until they feel confident that their own ideas will be heard.

A leader who is deliberate about listening actively communicates to her colleagues that she values their contributions. This simple act signals respect and drives productivity and accountability on the team.

LEADERSHIP IS SHARING

Knowledge is power. A leader who shares his knowledge and wisdom freely unlocks the power of scale on the team that cannot be achieved independently.

Sharing is about expanding the team’s field of vision – strategic guidance, outside perspectives, and usage data should be transparently disseminated in order to challenge assumptions, direct the product story, and expose growth opportunities for individuals.

As a product design leader, I go out of my way to bring fresh ideas, counterpoints, and data to critical conversations with my teams.

LEADERSHIP IS COACHING

A leader’s job is to instruct, motivate, and inspire others so that they can achieve their greatest potential.

In my experience, small coaching moments materialize every day, without warning or ceremony. In less frequent, more pronounced instances, coaching typically occurs in two contexts with the same fundamental mechanics and intended outcomes.

Coaching for performance is about helping an underperforming colleague find ways to achieve results that are expected of them.

Coaching for growth is about helping a high performer recognize new challenges and expand their potential.

In terms of mechanics, both of these contexts require the same things of me as a leader:

• Empathy – listening and sharing first help me understand and assess the individual’s motivations, perspectives, and constraints.
• Self-awareness – to help me account for personal bias and broader context before telegraphing a path forward.
• Accountability – as a leader I communicate a concrete action plan, and follow up with a timely, data-backed assessment of the outcome.

I consider coaching a unique privelege given to leaders who exhibit integrity for the business. It is a skill I try to invest in every day.

LEADERSHIP IS INNOVATING

Innovation is the lifeblood of product design. A design leader should be capable of pushing boundaries to expose new opportunities while maintaining a prudent perspective about what is viable and healthy in the current environment.

An innovative leader must be curious, creative, and willing to color outside the lines in order to discover novel new ideas. These qualities are well documented in the biographies of trail blazers like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk (if its not too soon to put him in this company).

Beyond raw creativity, leaders who successfully innovate also tend to possess broad awareness and understanding of the fluid dynamics of their new ideas. In my experience, this perspective enables the empathy required to build partnerships that can enact change, as well as the instincts to understand when and when not to act on ideas.

LEADERSHIP IS DOING

Seeing is believing. A leader must be willing and able to model their philosophies in tangible form for the team to emulate.

Leading by doing means:

• Rolling up my sleeves to work directly in the design process, while clearly delegating responsibilities.
• Decisively advocating for the needs of user and team, while remaining open to healthy compromise.
• Driving critical dialog according to core values, while graciously accepting decisions that may or may not align with my personal opinions.
• Taking accountability without fear of failure.