Becoming a Changemaker by Leading with Design
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
The role of design leaders has evolved from product delivery to shaping organizational culture at scale.
-
•
Changemakers must assess 'ground conditions' like executive support and resources before accepting leadership roles.
-
•
Rushing into change without understanding the organization's history and culture ('coming in too hot') often generates resistance.
-
•
Building a shared vision requires inclusive collaboration where all stakeholders feel heard and represented.
-
•
Prioritization and focus on a few small wins prevent burnout and enable sustainable change.
-
•
Tools like the impact matrix help teams evaluate effort versus impact to choose projects wisely.
-
•
Vision without execution is futile; delivering tangible outcomes with prototyping and milestones is essential.
-
•
Failure is inevitable in change leadership; embracing mistakes with courage leads to growth and innovation.
-
•
Visual communication techniques enhance stakeholder understanding and trust during complex change efforts.
-
•
Changemakers don’t necessarily need formal design training but must adopt design as a mindset and problem-solving strategy.
Notable Quotes
"The best future leaders will embody the qualities and traits of a DEO — design executive officer — creative business leaders at the intersection of design and business."
"Change is fundamentally a design problem and therefore change can be designed."
"Before you accept a mission as a changemaker, ask yourself do you have a clear directive, champion support, and the right resources?"
"Coming in too hot means running into a burning building like a firefighter, ignoring past work, and rushing without listening."
"Nobody wants to be told to do your thing unless it’s clear that it helps their thing. It’s just human nature."
"Don’t boil the ocean. Get small wins before you go for the big change."
"You need maniacal focus to prioritize, but remain flexible as priorities will always change."
"Vision without execution is hallucination. You must make outcomes tangible and measurable."
"Failure sucks and hurts, but if you haven’t failed, you haven’t taken enough risks."
"When you hit the bottom, that’s where creativity flourishes and it’s time to iterate, evolve, and redesign."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Only eight people filled out the online application out of over 847,000 pending."
Marina MartinLives on the Line: The Stakes of UX at the Scale of Government
June 14, 2018
"Without proper evaluation, you’re just building a demo – demos are easy, quality production is hard."
Peter Van DijckBuilding the Rosenbot
June 4, 2024
"Linear perspective created the myth that one single perspective can represent objective truth, which led to many misunderstandings."
Tricia WangSpatial Collapse: Designing for Emergent Culture
January 8, 2024
"Desktop publishing was the most disruptive change in an industry in the history of the US until now."
Erin MaloneUnderstanding the past to prepare for the future
July 19, 2024
"We need to create learning frameworks that allow researchers to be effective, even without big tech pedigree."
Chris GeisonTheme 1 Intro
March 9, 2022
"AI can empower researchers to solve pain points — like anticipating trends or critiquing discussion guides — amplifying impact rather than replacing work."
Llewyn PaineCoexisting with AI: A practical guide for researchers to navigate tools, ethics, and integration
March 11, 2025
"We started the digital service as a subsidiary company during the pandemic and delivered first services within a year."
Magdalena ZadaraZero Hour: How to Get Far Quickly When Starting Your Digital Service Unit Late
November 16, 2022
"Everything is a prototype."
Doug PowellClosing Keynote: Design at Scale
November 8, 2018
"If you can’t reach the main person in conflict, build relationship with someone who influences them."
Sylvie Abookire Susan Abookire Caitlyn NalderA Civic Designer's Guide to Mindful Conflict Navigation
November 17, 2022
