[TMA] Don't Be a Weak-ass Design Leader

Due to travel, work, and general summer idleness, I haven't written a newsletter in over a month. So, I figured I'd come out strong.

The title comes from a tossed-off comment I made on Maria Pentkovski's LinkedIn post where she shared a story of recruiting rejection, because even though her portfolio was the strongest they'd seen, she "didn't have the specific niche domain knowledge the PM was headstrong on despite the [hiring manager] telling me it was not critical for the job." I replied, "weak ass hiring manager," a response which got more traffic than most of my posts!

Which lead me to think this was something worth expanding on.

Leadership is a Responsibility

Design leadership roles are a privilege and responsibility. They shouldn't be seen as an entitlement for what you have done in your career, but an opportunity you have earned to effect positive change.

Seeing so many design leaders find themselves in positions of real influence and authority, but with little clue what to do with it, led me to develop my Design Leadership Demystified masterclass, so they have tools to take advantage of their position and advance their agenda.

What does it mean to not be Weak-ass?

At heart, it means standing strong for your team and yourself.

Standing strong requires confidence. So work on the things that develop your confidence:

Know what you’re talking about. Do the work to understand the space you're operating in. You will show up as composed and assured when you are versed in the subject matter of your work. Too often, design leaders shirk learning the subject matter in favor of focusing on their methods and practice. And then come across as ignorant when they can't competently address the basics of their business.

Know and show your worth. How does your team deliver value? When you can speak to that, you can show up in any room and not feel out of place.

Have a point of view. Confident leaders have a distinct perspective, a definition of progress and what it takes to get there. Many design leaders haven't taken the time to reflect on their agenda, the change they seek, and instead find themselves in a mode reactive to the forces around them.

You will not always be in control. That's okay.

Going back to the story that triggered this post. This was a hiring manager who acted as if they were in control of their process, and then it was demonstrated that they most certainly were not. To not be 'weak-ass' doesn't necessarily mean to usurp control from that PM. Instead a leader who is not weak-ass acknowledges their place in the system, is transparent about how decisions are made, and does their best to drive to their desired results, but doesn't sugar-coat or obfuscate reality. This hiring manager was weak-ass because they led on that they had authority, and then wasted a lot of people's time, and bruised a number of egos, when it wasn't the case.

Not everyone is cut out for leadership

Many design leaders are weak-ass because they've never had a model of strong, capable leadership, and they haven't been part of environments that developed their leadership potential. I don't fault these leaders, as long as they develop the self-awareness, realize their ineffectiveness, and then put in the time and effort to get better. We all have to start somewhere.

I do fault those who see their leadership as an entitlement, who lamely hold onto what little power they have to salve their own ego, who know they're not good at their job, but can't bear acknowledging it. Real leadership is too important to be taken lightly, and these weak-ass leaders breed misery not just for themselves, but for all the people they are expected to lead. These folks need to step aside and let those who are willing to do the work assume the mantle.

Autumn is the Season of Peter

After a quiet summer, I embark on an active autumn.

September 24-25 in Raleigh, NC

On September 24-25, I'll be at UX Y'all in Raleigh, NC, where we just opened registration on an in-person version of Design Leadership Demystified the morning of September 24.

October 16-17 in Dallas, TX

For the first time ever, Jesse James Garrett and I are co-presenting a keynote, and doing so at the Service Design General Conference. We're sharing what we've learned through presenting our podcast Finding Our Way, and what it suggest for the future of design leadership.

Elevating Your Design Team cohort class

From late September through early November, I'm leading instruction for Elevating Your Design Team, a cohort class within the newly launched IF Academy. The focus is on the internal organizational work necessary for getting the most out of your design team. For this class, I'm joined by fantastic guest experts Jose Coronado (Design Ops), Venessa Bennett (Career architecture), and Lena Kul (Recruiting and Hiring). If you're interested, and would like a discount code, or group discounts, please let me know.