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The world doesn’t need more managers—it needs people who care enough to lead
Leadership in design requires the humility to listen, the courage to take risks, and the patience to nurture creativity in an often impatient world. But why do only a few designers get leadership roles?
Leadership is an inside job, and we keep getting it wrong.
We’ve romanticized leadership, misunderstood it, and turned it into a meme. People think it’s about wielding power, shouting commands, or claiming a corner office with a view. It’s not. Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s not about what you gain.
At its core, leadership is deeply personal. And paradoxically, it’s never about you. Authentic leadership starts from within. It’s an inside job. Imagine a leader who remains unshaken in the face of chaos — not detached in apathy, but anchored in their essence. Someone whose joy doesn’t hinge on likes, titles, or applause but flows from an internal reservoir of calm and purpose.
Such leaders recognize that life — successes, failures, crises — is a river in constant motion. Instead of clinging to outcomes, they accept, adapt, and move forward…
