As I begin to scribe this article, it’s important to take pause and reflect on a career chop full of continuous delivery and creative growth. I still ask myself this question, “Is it for me?”
Imposter syndrome, otherwise known as a condition of slight anxiousness and not experiencing success internally, despite performing in external, objective ways. It’s real, and it happens to many of us. But riddle me this… how does one overcome it?
I can passionately express my unfortunate experience in this and the toxic disdain that it produces. Fear not my friends, for it is a conscious decision to settle into the state. Another definition that I can deflect this with is not to water your weeds and experience the discomfort of growth. Let’s be real with one another, and acknowledge that Change, Growth, and your own Pursuit of Happiness is hard. And it’s supposed to be if it’s worth anything.
I’ve found in my still growing career that 3 things must occur in order to vanquish the aforementioned vibes in a design setting:
- Unfailing Support
- Delivery Excellence
- Constant Evangelization
This is certainly not an acknowledgement of my arrival. Simply a reflection of responsiveness and adaptation.
"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
~ John Maxwell
Unfailing Support
The very premise is to ensure my own accountability and the promise to break down every possible barrier that exists for the entirety of my team. No favorites, no handouts, no nonsense approach to getting things done, and empowering others on their way to completion.
It is my very bane to care for and serve others across my team. And as this relates to design and its inherent subjectivity, it is important to take stock on my past experiences that help push the otherwise ethereal substance into objective and final output. Learning facilitation tactics and leveraging empathetic approaches to“reaching” others has become an integral facet of support. Sometimes the people I’m supporting are external to my team, but they require the same energy and cognitive support in moving the needle forward.
Delivery Excellence
It is a strong opinion so forgive me in advance… this takes time. You cannot rush experience, and every single step in your experience promotes a higher level of comfortability in delivering the thing.
But probably, we all agree on this to a degree. Let’s take it a notch higher. I’m not actually talking about the thing to be delivered. Instead, I’m referring to the elements of delivery that matter most, and what matters most to me in Design Leadership, is your trust. Your trust that me or my team will deliver your thing on time, within scope & budget, and in an effort to establish a greater connection in our relationship and business partnership moving forward. We’re all here to move things forward.
Constant Evangelization
One of the more challenging facets of Design Delivery is actually promotion of it’s importance, and why the heck it should matter to you. In my experience, I’ve found that we must not remain silent!
Many will challenge UX and or the design layer of a project to be a luxury line item, that can be overlooked for now. “We can get to that later.” Well, while I’m not here to particularly sell you on the importance, I’m hoping to communicate the extreme value in elevating the topic with not only your peers, but your leadership as well. We must, as design leaders, create spaces where we not only advocate for design. We should inspire for things to grow, provide sustenance in empowering others through it, and we must volunteer! Leading with a “yes” has been a powerful motivator in demonstrating value. And it is through this that I’m able to empower a team, and help the thing grow.
Conclusion
I’m hoping this article is met with scrutiny, as I continue to grow my own leadership core and aim to push the people around me forward. I’m curious of other junior leads’ definitions of their journey. These things I’ve mentioned are derived from 100’s of successful deliveries, and through the trust of my partners, peers, and executive sponsorship. Cheers to you, on your journey and hope that this amplifies your experience as well.
