How I lead
Throughout my career, I’ve worked hard to understand what leading a team actually means. I’ve seen some great examples of leadership and a few not-so-good ones. Here’s what being a good leader means to me.
Inspire a shared vision
As a leader, it’s important for me to help define a vision for the team, product, and company that we can get behind as a team but that’s only half the job. Being able to communicate that vision in a way that inspires my team (and others) is equally important.
I do this by…
Collaborating closely with my peers in Product, Eng, Marketing
Making sure Design is part of relevant conversations
Discussing and sharing at our quarterly kick-offs
Invest in meaningful connections
In order to lead effectively, I invest in not only forming a deep connection with my immediate team but also with my Product and Business counterparts. Doing so results in a more collaborative way of working and in turn better overall results.
I do this by…
Having regular 1:1s at the appropriate cadence
Organizing quarterly team offsites
Taking a bottom-up approach to management
Create psychological safety
Don’t be afraid to challenge and be challenged. Celebrate failure just as much as success. Make it clear that there truly is no such thing as a dumb question. Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up.
I do this by…
Championing inclusive hiring practices
Hosting ‘retrospective’ sessions with the team
Sending our quarterly engagement surveys and actioning on feedback
Encouraging healthy conflict
Be vulnerable
There’s no better way to form deep connections and foster a culture of empathy than to be vulnerable as a leader. I’m not afraid to admit to my areas of improvement and learn from others. My hope is that doing so will give my team and those around me the confidence to do the same.
I do this by…
Giving everyone access to a public copy of ‘A User Guide To Working With Me,’ which lists out areas of opportunity that I’m actively working on
Not being afraid to say “I don’t know but I can find out” or “I’m not sure but let’s figure it out together”
Asking for help instead of trying to be a hero (this is something I’ve been working on as a result of feedback that I’ve received)
Cater to a diverse team
The one size fits all approach doesn’t fare well when working with a group of individuals with diverse backgrounds and personalities. I’ve found that tweaking my management style slightly to cater to each individual’s wants and needs does wonders for our partnership.
I do this by…
Listening intently, especially during 1:1s, helps me better understand my team’s short-term and long-term goals
Giving the team the right tools to be able to thrive in autonomy
Offering flexibility in how the team works
The invisible work
Managing and hiring remotely
Managing, hiring, and onboarding a team is a challenge in the best of times let alone in the middle of a global pandemic that we’re all trying to navigate to the best of our abilities. When we had to go remote overnight, I had to start thinking creatively about changing up some of our rituals and practices as a team. A few things that I introduced:
An open Zoom room twice a week for working collaboratively as a team (completely optional)
End of week check-ins with a couple of rounds of Skribbl - helped the team feel connected
Shortened the interviewing process to make sure candidates didn’t get Zoom fatigue
Created an interview guide and onboarding guide to help candidates and new team members understand the process and company better
Career development
With a team of talented, ambitious individuals comes a great deal of responsibility to ensure that they’re constantly growing and learning. Here are a few things that I like to do to make this happen for my team:
Have clear progression frameworks in place for each role within the team so there’s no confusion on either side about what the expectations of the current level and next level are
A live PDP (personal development plan) document that we both contribute to and make changes to whenever goals and priorities have shifted
Have regular conversations about their goals; how they feel like they’re measuring up against them and if they need internal (mentors) or external (courses/workshops) help to achieve them
Advocating for Design
I feel like I, as a leader, am constantly making a case for Design’s business value within an organization. No matter how much a company values Design, it’s a good idea to remind cross-functional peers and the exec team how important the role of Design & Research is in product development and ultimately in the overall success of the company. Here’s how I do it:
Company-wide lunch & learns or presentations during all hands showcasing the results of a recent launch or usability sessions — it always blows people’s mind to see the behind the scenes work the team does
Invite relevant people to research sessions so they can see user/client pain points first hand — doing this also builds empathy for the user
I’ve run monthly onboarding sessions for new hires where I talk about the power that design has in our everyday lives, always blows people’s minds