Path to Design Leadership?
While I currently have the role and lead a team of designers, the idea of being a design leader has nothing to do with a title. Being a design leader is about how we go about our work, it's a mindset. However, when thinking about our own career paths, being a design leader is a natural consideration that is thought of as a title and not well understood as a role. Part of what may contribute to this ambiguity is the fact that every design leader is different and design leadership can take on many different forms that do not require a title.
When thinking about the nature of design leadership the best sources to turn to are other design leaders. In their book LIFTOFF!, Chris Avore and Russ Unger describe a design leader as
“a person who can picture a better team, work environment, and world.” (Avore & Unger, 2020, p.5)
Chris and Russ then go on to describe a Design Manager being a different role that has to do with managing people and being accountable for the development and performance of individual designers. Simply put, there is a difference between being a Design Leader and a Design Manager (Avore & Unger, 2020). This begs the question, what path do you want to pursue? Being a Design Manager is a more formalized role that may also come with a new title, but being a Design Leader can be a journey you start today by adopting a mindset focused on trying to make everyone and everything around them better.
Hear more from Chris and Russ…
If you’re anything like me, the idea of design leadership feels monolithic and maybe even unattainable. Maybe our imposter syndrome gets activated when we try to imagine ourselves as design leaders. However, the transition into being a design leader is possible. Becoming a design manager is possible. Julie Zhuo wrote about her own journey and lessons learned in her book The Making of a Manager. She transitioned from being a high-performing creative into being the manager of people who were former teammates and designers she admired. This is a difficult transition that many creatives face including me. I also found myself managing designers and learning into the role as I occupied it. Part of what Julie discusses in her book is that connecting with the people on your team is important and you also have to give effective feedback in order to help the people on your team grow (Zhuo, 2019). Being a good design manager and leader also means being open to feedback and coaching as well. This lends credibility to the idea that good design managers are made, which resonates with me because I have learned so much from the designers on my team.
Hear more from Julie…
Ultimately, being a design manager is about caring for the people on your team and having the decision-making capability to make things better. This is where the lines between design manager and design leader start to blur given the design leadership definition offered by Chris and Russ. If being a design leader starts with picturing a better team and work environment then isn’t being a design manager about doing the same thing and having the ability to make it a reality as well? Remember, design leadership can take on many different forms and doesn’t require being formalized into a design manager role. The only thing a leader needs is followers and this can be accomplished by being able to influence your peers as well. However, being in a formalized design manager role does require design leadership. These may be different roles, but it requires a common mindset.
Richard Banfield discusses design leadership in a way that is inclusive of the manager role in his article Design Your Leadership to Live Beyond You. Richard interviewed design leaders and managers to better understand the questions and challenges facing design leaders in a way that also accounts for the fact that these leaders are also functioning as managers. When discussing our roles as design managers there is a lens being applied described as a leadership style (Banfield, 2017).
If there’s one thread in the leadership style conversation it’s that helping others be better at their jobs is the primary concern of all our leaders. Giving their teams the mental and emotional tools to deal with tough situations and hard challenges is part of that territory.
Richard says that “Leaders are expected to have a clear message for the team.”, which is a galvanizing connection between the roles of leader and manager. Both managers and leaders are expected to have clear messages for their team or followers (Banfield, 2017). The expectations of design leaders can be daunting and might discourage many talented designers from walking down the leadership path, but sometimes the most exciting opportunities are the ones that scare you a little bit. The scary opportunities will be the opportunities that push us and make us grow.
Chris, Russ, Julie, and Richard have given us many things to consider when trying to better understand design leadership. However, these well-respected leaders do not answer the question of design leadership being the best path for you. Only you can answer that. Now that we have confirmed that design leadership is a mindset and role, the question remains if this is a role that appeals to you. It's one thing to want to do good work as a designer, but it's an entirely different prospect to want to help others do their best work. The leadership path is not for every designer, but it's a path that can be started with a single step.
Through my own journey, I have learned that being a good design leader is about caring for people like Julie Zhuo. This is informed by my own strengths and leadership style, as described by Richard Banfield. Caring for people motivates me to continue my leadership journey and so I ask what motivates you? What values and leadership style will you bring to your leadership journey? The only way to find out is to get started.
Sources
Avore, C., & Unger, R. (2020). LIFTOFF!: Practical Design Leadership to Elevate Your Team, Your Organization, and You. New York: Rosenfeld.
Zhuo, J. (2019). The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You. New York: Portfolio/Penguin.
Banfield, R. (Aug 2, 2017). Design Your Leadership to Live Beyond You. Medium. https://richardmbanfield.medium.com/design-your-leadership-to-live-beyond-you-18319368f08
