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The You Design System

Helping businesses & individuals apply their UX skills to how they’re experienced by other people. Mike Curtis, Sr. UX Designer and author of The You Design System, has 21 years of experience in design, UX, marketing, e-commerce & sales.

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Lead the Team Inside You

9 min readMay 6, 2025

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Lead the team inside YOU.

You know that feeling when you have a big decision to make and every part of you starts arguing all at once? Part of you says: “Dude, play it safe.” Another pumps you up and says, “Go for it.” Then another part inside yells: “You have no clue what you’re doing!”

Which part is right? It’s chaotic. And it’s normal. It’s what happens when you, a single individual, are trying to lead a team inside yourself.

Most people haven’t heard of Bruce Tuckman.

But as a psychological researcher, he developed a framework that quietly underpins everything from team offsites to leadership training decks to first-year group therapy workshops.

In 1965, he proposed that groups grow through five stages:

  • Forming (getting to know each other and the goal)
  • Storming (clashing over ideas, roles, or direction)
  • Norming (finding common ground and building trust)
  • Performing (working smoothly and making progress)
  • Adjourning (wrapping up, reflecting, and moving on)

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The You Design System
The You Design System

Published in The You Design System

Helping businesses & individuals apply their UX skills to how they’re experienced by other people. Mike Curtis, Sr. UX Designer and author of The You Design System, has 21 years of experience in design, UX, marketing, e-commerce & sales.

Mike Curtis
Mike Curtis

Written by Mike Curtis

Senior UX Designer / New articles weekly on design & self-improvement / Helping you design the "UX of You" / 22+ years in design, marketing, & sales.

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