A Reflection on Leadership
Leadership Experience
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to learn from exceptional leaders and experience the profound responsibility of guiding others toward success. Leadership, to me, is not a concept confined to textbooks or workshops. It is a deeply human practice shaped by lived experiences, moments of triumph, and the invaluable lessons learned from our missteps. It is fundamentally about people — understanding their needs, nurturing their growth, and creating an environment where they feel safe enough to excel.
My professional path has been anything but linear. It has been a winding journey of discovery. I began as a graphic designer, bringing ideas to life visually. This role taught me the power of design and the importance of clear communication. From there, I transitioned into marketing management, where I learned to balance creativity with strategic objectives and measurable outcomes. Eventually, my path led me to the world of public relations and strategic communications. Today, I find myself circling back to my creative roots, integrating the human-centered principles of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design into my work and leadership toolkits. Each step has taught me something new about the role of empathy in leadership.
For this reflection, I will focus on my time as a Strategic Communications Director, where I led a small but talented team. My role was not simply to manage projects or deliver on key performance indicators; I felt that it was also to cultivate a culture of trust, to encourage innovation, and to help each member of my team see and realize their own potential. I saw myself not as a commander, but as a facilitator and a shield. It was a role that required a constant balancing act, balancing the demands of the job with the emotional intelligence needed to lead with empathy.
I operate from the belief that everyone possesses the capacity to lead, though not everyone recognizes it in themselves or feels comfortable stepping into that space. Leadership, as I see it, is not about a title or a position on an organizational chart. It is about taking initiative, practicing accountability for both successes and failures, and actively building connections that foster a shared sense of purpose. It’s about showing up for others, especially when it’s difficult. But translating this into daily practice was not without its challenges.
One of the challenges I faced was what I have come to call the "passion gap." I have always viewed work as an opportunity for growth and play — a chance to learn, experiment, and create something meaningful. But I quickly learned that not everyone shares this motivation. For some, work is a transaction: a means to an end, a way to pay the bills. I often found myself far more invested in a project's outcome than some of my team members were. This was an important lesson in perspective. My initial instinct was to try and inspire them, to make them see the work through my eyes. But this approach often fell flat. It required me to step back, quiet my own enthusiasm, and remind myself that my passion could not be imposed on others. Instead, I needed to meet them where they were, understand their individual drivers, and find authentic ways to align their personal goals with the organization’s objectives.
Another significant challenge was navigating the inherent differences and needs between "management" and "leadership." Management demands structure, adherence to process, deadlines, and efficiency. Leadership, on the other hand, calls for flexibility, creativity, and a safe space for growth and even failure. This friction became a central theme of my role. Some projects, bound by tight deadlines or rigid requirements, left little room for the kind of creative experimentation I wanted to foster. My challenge was to create an environment where both structure and innovation could coexist, where the necessary constraints of the organization did not diminish the creativity of an individual.
To address these challenges, I leaned heavily on empathy and open communication. Early and frequent conversations became the cornerstone of my leadership approach. I made it a priority to understand the people behind the job titles. What were their aspirations? What were their fears? What did they do on the weekends? I wanted my team to feel heard, valued, and supported as whole individuals, especially when the work was demanding.
One of the most transformative tools in my toolbelt came from the "Crucial Conversations" framework, which I studied as part of an emergent leaders cohort. It provided a structured approach to navigating high-stakes, emotional conversations with clarity and compassion. The core principle that I adopted as my personal mantra was the pursuit of a "win-win" outcome. In many corporate cultures, conflict is treated as a zero-sum game — a battle where one side wins at the expense of the other, or a compromise where both parties walk away feeling they’ve lost something. I feel committed to finding a third way in which everyone wins.
For example, I had a team member who was brilliant at visual storytelling and passionate about photography, but his days were increasingly filled with administrative data entry tasks. His engagement was plummeting. An old-school manager might have told him to just do his job. But a "win-win" required a deeper conversation. We sat down, and I listened. I didn’t just hear his frustration; I heard his desire to contribute creatively. The solution wasn't to eliminate the necessary tasks of data reporting. Instead, we worked together to reimagine how we presented that data. We found a way to integrate his passion for photography and visual storytelling into our reports, turning dry spreadsheets into compelling visual narratives. This solution met the organization's needs as well as his personal desire for creative expression. By aligning his interests with the team's objectives, we bridged his "passion gap" and unlocked a new level of contribution.
I also became an advocate for a safe culture for taking risks and being creative. When a team member wanted to try a risky new social media campaign or a radically different design, I made it a priority to shield them from premature criticism from upper management. I would frame these experiments as "low-risk pilots" and manage stakeholder expectations, allowing the ideas to mature or, just as importantly, to fail safely. This approach did more than just foster creativity; it inspired sense of trust. My team knew I had their back, which empowered them to take the kinds of creative risks that lead to breakthroughs.
Alignment with Design Leadership Principles
As my career has evolved and I’ve moved from strategic communications toward a focus on design leadership, I have found powerful parallels between the two. Steve Jobs famously said, "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." This holistic view of design mirrors my approach to leadership. It is not just about the "output,” but about designing the systems, processes, and culture that enable that output to exist. It’s about how the team itself works together.
In my role as Director, I tried not to see my team as a collection of individual specialists: a writer, a designer, or a social media manager. I worked to break down the silos that naturally form between roles. We held integrated brainstorming sessions where the writer’s insights could influence the design, and the designer’s perspective could shape the communication strategy.
At the same time, I was aware of the need to balance high standards with human empathy. By consciously framing aspects of our work as a form of "play" and experimentation, even within the confines of tight deadlines, I sought to create a culture where my team felt empowered to take ownership of their ideas and their process. Still today, I like to be a learner alongside them, integrating my own new UI/UX skills into our workflow and admitting when I did not have the answer.
Looking back on my career, the most profound and enduring lesson I have learned is that leadership is fundamentally an act of service. It is not about wielding authority or having control; it is about creating conditions for others to succeed. It is about clearing obstacles, providing resources, mentoring, and offering support. As I continue journey in UI/UX design, this lesson helps guide my way. In the design world, leadership often requires influence without authority. A lead designer must persuade engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to prioritize the user's experience, often in the face of competing constraints like time and budget. This requires the same empathy, communication skills, and commitment to a "win-win" that I honed as a Strategic Communications Director.
I have also learned that vulnerability is not a weakness but a leadership superpower. By admitting when I did not have all the answers and inviting my team to co-create solutions with me, I fostered a culture of deep collaboration and trust. It shifts the focus from a team of "know-it-alls" to a team of "learn-it-alls." This will be critical as I navigate the world of design leadership. Design critiques can feel intensely personal; my experiences and continued education will be instrumental in facilitating feedback sessions that improve the work without demoralizing the designer.
Ultimately, my goal as a leader is to bring out the very best in people. Whether I am leading a communications campaign or a digital product launch, my core focus remains the same: to listen with the intent to understand others' needs, to foster a shared vision that resonates on an emotional level, and to collaboratively design a future that is human-centered. The medium may change, from a press release to a user interface, but the fundamental principles of human motivation, connection, and growth remain constant. Leadership, like design, is about empathy, creativity, and the unwavering belief that we can build something truly extraordinary — together.