Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of learning at some of the best companies in design and technology.

These experiences have shaped leadership principles that have helped my teams thrive while delivering exceptional design to customers worldwide.

 
 

Leaders eat last

The phrase "leaders eat last" (popularized in Simon Sinek’s book of the same name) refers to the idea that great leaders prioritize the needs and well-being of their team over their own. This means that as a leader, your actions and behavior set the tone for the culture of the organization. Accordingly, it’s your responsibility to create a positive, supportive environment where people feel valued and supported.


To do this leaders must lead with kindness and empathy, treating people with respect, and promoting a culture of smart risk-taking and continuous development. This should be supported by clear expectations and a feedback-oriented culture that encourages open communication and continuous improvement. When done correctly this leads to a virtuous cycle that generates positive culture, engaged team members, and ever-improving team performance.

Tactics

  • As the leader, your actions shape the culture of your organization. It starts and stops with you.

  • Lead with kindness and empathy.

  • Treat people with respect.

  • Promote a culture of smart risk taking and constant development.

  • Support this with clear expectations and a feedback-oriented culture.


Trust is the keystone

Building trust is the most critical aspect of effective leadership; it’s the keystone that supports your relationships with your team and peers. To build trust a leader listens more than they speak, and they take the time to truly understand the perspectives and needs of their team. Trust is also built by communicating clearly and authentically, using language and tone that is appropriate for the team and the context while staying true to authentic yourself.


Every decision you make as a leader is an opportunity to teach and guide your team. By providing clear explanations and context for your decisions, you can help demystify the decision-making process, educate your team, and build their trust.


As a design leader, Another way to build trust is by consistently identifying problems to be solved, and then leading your team to solve them. By consistently demonstrating competence and expertise (you are the leader of design, after all), you’ll earn the trust and respect of your team and colleagues.

Tactics

  • Listen 3x more than you speak.

  • Modulate your message for your audience and context while remaining true to yourself.

  • Every decision is an opportunity to teach (explanations demystify).

  • Get wins up and down the chain. This builds capital.

  • Demonstrate mastery and lead by example.



Play the infinite game

Adopting an infinite game mentality as a leader on your long-term mission, rather than short-term gains or victories. Everything else should ladder up to this mission, and the mission should be the driving force behind all decision-making and strategy.
As a leader, it is important to practice resilience and adaptability in order to successfully navigate the infinite game. This means being able to bounce back from setbacks and pivot as needed in order to stay true to the mission.
In addition, it is essential to cultivate a culture of collaboration and support, working to lift all boats and bring others along in the pursuit of the shared mission. This means empowering and supporting your team, as well as those in the industry who share in the mission, rather than seeking individual glory. By working together towards a common goal, you can increase your chances of success and make a greater impact



Tactics

  • Focus on the mission. Everything else ladders up to it.

  • The only thing constant is change. Practice resilience and adaptability.

  • Aim to lift all boats and bring others along to achieve the mission.




Customer come first

Putting customers first is a fundamental principle that should guide all decision-making and strategy. At the heart of this principle is the belief that our primary mission is to deliver the best possible design of products and services to our customers. This is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good for business. All other principles should ladder up to this mission.
To effectively achieve this mission, it is essential to have a strong understanding of business and the ability to sit on both sides of the table, harmonizing the needs of the customer with the needs of the company.
As a leader within the company, it is important to prioritize the customer experience in all aspects of decision-making and strategy. This includes hiring, promoting, and managing team members with the goal of delivering the best possible products and services to customers. As the leader of design, you are ultimately accountable for the customer experience and must take responsibility for ensuring that it is consistently positive. The buck stops with you.

Tactics

  • The primary mission is to deliver the best possible design of products and services to our customers. They deserve it, and it’s good for business. All other principles ladder up to this mission.

  • To achieve this mission, a mastery of business is key. Design needs to understand and harmonize with business.

  • Hire, promote, and manage to build the organization necessary to achieve the mission.

  • As the leader of design, be accountable for the customer experience. The buck stops at you.