Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do because then they will act. – Jack Welch
While working in the DC Tri-State area, I was inspired to embark on a journey to explore leadership in its many forms—whether as a manager of people, director of work, or team lead. What I learned is that true leadership is about fostering balance, nurturing resilience, and harmonizing diverse perspectives to achieve a unified vision.
A Balanced Approach: Collaboration and Accountability
I approach my work with self-direction, "You are an empowering leader that helps everyone make informed decisions." When I manage people I encourage them to give themselves this direction. I know that everyone on the team is accountable for the success of our solution, and we need to collaborate to ensure our success. I tend to focus on introducing activities for collaboration, unifying understanding and vision, and collaborating early and often throughout the process.
Discovery: A Harmonized Beginning
Discovery is the foundation of any project - and success. It’s about more than just defining the problem space, goals, and success criteria. It’s about aligning the team’s understanding of the challenge, bringing together perspectives from business, technical, and user domains. I ensure that this phase harmonizes the team’s knowledge, abilities, and enthusiasm, fostering a rejuvenated sense of purpose as we embark on the project.
Mentoring and Coaching Non-UX/CX: A Rejuvenating Process
In two recent ethnographic studies, I had the opportunity to mentor and coach non-UX professionals, guiding them in observing and gathering data. This process instilled confidence, transforming initial feelings of being overwhelmed into a renewed sense of capability. The energy created by this collaboration fostered open communication, empowering everyone to contribute their unique perspectives without disrupting the flow of the project. This harmonized the effort and led to more resilient and well-rounded solutions.
Strategy and Solution: Fostering Ownership and Innovation
In the strategy phase, my role is to support the team by leading in defining the concepts of the solution from the strategic research's findings - defined user groups, tasks, and context of experience mapped to business objectives. I led workshops and activities that invite exploration and ownership, building a strong sense of ownership and buy-in across the team. Yes, I pull from Design Thinking but tailor it to the company culture, business objectives, and solution.
By moving from divergent to convergent activities, I ensure the process is balanced—inviting creativity while keeping our goals in focus. This balance encourages a rejuvenated sense of engagement and satisfaction among the team, ensuring that the solution is not just innovative but viable.
Vetting: A Balanced Approach to Credibility and Impact
Credible validation is a passion of mine. I work collaboratively with teams to prioritize results, ensuring that the most impactful insights are integrated into the final solution. By balancing business objectives with user needs, we create actionable, empowering results that drive both user satisfaction and operational success. The process itself is resilient, designed to withstand the challenges of implementation while remaining adaptable to changing needs.
This manifests in many different ways. It might be A/B Concept Testing, it might include T-Shirt Sizing new ideas, etc.
Mentoring and Coaching: Rejuvenating the Next Generation
At this stage in my career, mentoring and coaching have become the most fulfilling aspects of my work. I have the privilege of guiding young researchers and designers, offering support through in-person meetings, text therapy, portfolio reviews, and career advice. These interactions are more than just teaching moments—they are opportunities to rejuvenate and empower the next generation of leaders, instilling in them the resilience and confidence to thrive in their own careers. I find I also learn a lot in these relationships too!
While I was working in the DC Tri-State area, I became aware of leadership and began my exploration of what leadership is and how to be an effective leader whether its as a manager of people, director of work, or a lead.