UX Gatherings May 2016

Why I’m a Bad Design Leader

@cameron_rogers

I’m Cameron

I lead the SEEK UX & Design team

@cameron_rogers

@cameron_rogers

What we’re seeing from this newest crop of successful design leaders is less about design. It’s all about leadership.

Jared Spool

“ “

@cameron_rogers

What does it mean to be a good leader?

@cameron_rogers

A good Leader is…

Selfless, driven, vulnerable, trusting, honest, approachable, fun, flexible, fair, courageous, visionary…

@cameron_rogers

What does it mean to be a good design leader?

@cameron_rogers

What does it mean to be a bad leader?

@cameron_rogers

Good Leader? Bad Leader?

A good leader is intensely aware of the interplay of inner shadow and light, lest the act of leadership do more harm than good.

Parker J Palmer

“ “

@cameron_rogers

Exercise: What’s one reason why you’re a bad leader?

@cameron_rogers

What does it mean to be a bad design leader?

@cameron_rogers

And why am I a bad design leader?

@cameron_rogers

There are so many reasons…

@cameron_rogers

There are so many reasons…

@cameron_rogers

There are so many reasons…

@cameron_rogers

…while also championing a user centred design philosophy

@cameron_rogers

Hiring the right designers

And yet, despite all these flaws…

@cameron_rogers

@cameron_rogers

So, what am I trying to say?

@cameron_rogers

Nobody’s perfect

@cameron_rogers

No leaders are perfect

@cameron_rogers

No leader is perfect. The best ones don’t try to be—they concentrate on honing their strengths and find others who can make up for their limitations.

Deborah Ancona

“ “

@cameron_rogers

There is no such thing as a

perfect leader either in the past

or present… If there is one, he is

only pretending, like a pig

inserting scallions into its nose in

an effort to look like an elephant.

Liu Shaoqi

“ “

@cameron_rogers

And of course, no design leaders are perfect…

@cameron_rogers

…but we’re all working hard to get better.

@cameron_rogers

Image references (I) h t t p : / / p h o t o r a s a . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 3 / 1 0 / m a l e - m i g r a n t - h a w k e r - d r a g o n f l y - h o v e r i n g . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . i n s i d e c x m . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 4 / 0 7 / s h u t t e r s t o c k _ 1 9 2 4 5 1 6 4 9 . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . p a x - h o u s e . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 4 / 0 5 / s t a r - g a z i n g . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . e n g l i s h t r a c k e r s . c o m / e n g l i s h - b l o g / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 3 / 0 4 / s h e r y l . j p g

h t t p : / / a 3 . f i l e s . b i o g r a p h y . c o m / i m a g e / u p l o a d / c _ f i t , c s _ s r g b , d p r _ 1 . 0 , h _ 1 2 0 0 , q _ 8 0 , w _ 1 2 0 0 / M T E 4 M D A zN D E w N D Y y N D E w M j U 0 . j p g

h t t p : / / i m a g e s . h e l l o g i g g l e s . c o m / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 4 / 0 7 / 1 4 / m a l a l a - y o u s a f z a i - f t r . j p g

h t t p : / / t h e s o u r c e . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 4 / 0 2 / D e r e k - J e t e r 2 . j p g

h t t p : / / s t a t i c . i n d e p e n d e n t . c o . u k / s 3 f s - p u b l i c / t h u m b n a i l s / i m a g e / 2 0 1 5 / 1 2 / 3 1 / 1 7 / t o y - s t o r y - w o o d y -b u z z . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . s e v e n q u o t e s . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 5 / 0 6 / r e m e m b e r - t h e . j p g

h t t p : / / s t a t i c 1 . s q u a r e s p a c e . c o m / s t a t i c / 5 2 4 6 3 a 7 a e 4 b 0 3 b 8 1 5 7 c a 5 c 0 a / t / 5 2 a 3 c 9 c 4 e 4 b 0 6 e 6 7 e 5 5 4 9 f e 6 /1 3 8 6 4 6 5 7 3 4 0 3 4 / ? f o r m a t = 5 0 0 w

h t t p : / / w w w . a m p l i f y . c o m / a s s e t s / v i e w p o i n t s / q - a - j o h n - m a e d a - r i s d - p r e s i d e n t - a n d - s t e a m - a d v o c a t e . j p g

@cameron_rogers

Image references (II) h t t p : / / i m a g e s 2 . f a n p o p . c o m / i m a g e / p h o t o s / 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 / R e d - Q u e e n - t h e - r e d - q u e e n - E 2 - 9 9 - A 5 - 1 1 4 9 1 0 6 1 -1 0 2 4 - 7 6 8 . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . 2 g b . c o m / s i t e s / d e f a u l t / f i l e s / f i e l d / i m a g e / 2 0 1 6 0 2 2 9 / m i t c h e l l _ p e a r c e . j p g

h t t p : / / t h e p u b l i c a p o l o g y . n e t / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / h i r d . j p g

h t t p : / / i 2 . c d n . t u r n e r . c o m / c n n n e x t / d a m / a s s e t s / 1 5 0 8 0 7 0 7 3 4 3 4 - d o n a l d - t r u m p - g o p - d e b a t e - t h u m b s - u p -a u g u s t - 6 - f u l l - 1 6 9 . j p g

h t t p s : / / c 2 . s t a t i c f l i c k r . c o m / 8 / 7 2 1 9 / 7 2 4 2 4 9 2 0 3 4 _ f 8 0 c d d a 9 0 6 _ b . j p g

h t t p : / / d u r s o c a p i t a l . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 5 / 0 9 / n e x t . j p g

h t t p s : / / r e d e e m i n g g o d . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 3 / 0 3 / t h a n k y o u . p n g

h t t p s : / / p u g m i n d e d . f i l e s . w o r d p r e s s . c o m / 2 0 1 2 / 0 4 / p u g - w i n d o w 1 . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . i q t r i v i a . c o m . a u / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 5 / 0 2 / a n i m a l s - l o o k i n g - t h r o u g h - t h e - w i n d o w -2 0 1 . j p g

h t t p s : / / m e d i a . l i c d n . c o m / m p r / m p r / A A E A A Q A A A A A A A A g n A A A A J G Q 3 M D Z i N j Q 4 L T k 3 O T Y t N D g 2 Y i 1 i Z G U 1L T Y 4 Z D k 4 Y z c x N W J h O Q . j p g

h t t p : / / w w w . a n d r o i d - m t . c o m / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 3 / 0 7 / d r o w n i n g . j p g

h t t p s : / / w w w . s a n d s t o r m d e s i g n . c o m / s i t e s / d e f a u l t / f i l e s / s t y l e s / b l o g / p u b l i c / u s e r -g o a l s _ 0 . j p g ? i t o k = j X d n q s e j

@cameron_rogers