The traditional view of leadership is top-down. Commands from the top sift down through leadership layers that are then turned into actions on the part of followers/employees. However there’s another way – you can manage up.
For us UX designers this can be done by championing our users and what they need.
Influence without authority
In the process of discovery, you can use the feedback you get from your users to influence decisions made at the executive leadership level. This influence does require implicit understanding from leadership. This information is vital to communicating users’ needs.
Your influence as a designer stems from your focus on users and empathy. You communicate this to stakeholders and their trust in the process gradually increases. Part of this is communicating our expertise to our team. Our team needs to know what we do, and how we do it. Another is standing up for user needs. Product and UX must be equal so users have the best chance of getting their job done.
Listening creates space for others to thrive
When someone feels heard, a user or a coworker, then you encourage collaboration which is what we UX designers strive for. As this collaborative support grows then leading by following becomes much simpler. We’re all listening empathetically.
- The paradox: stepping back can be a way of stepping up
- You can help your Lead Designer and their team achieve their mission by giving more than you’re asked for
Adaptive leadership and team flow
We want to row in the same direction:
- In high-functioning teams, leadership is dynamic — it moves
- Following well can mean recognising and encouraging the right leader for a moment and providing them the information they need at the right time
- It’s like a rowing crew — everyone takes their cue from each other. There is a coxswain, but that person with the megaphone goes nowhere unless their team can follow them effectively and accurately.
Influence doesn’t always wear a badge — often, it wears ears
Imagine the best teams you’ve been on, they tend to be the ones where ideas aren’t right or wrong, they are shared and built upon; the parts of those ideas that aren’t relevant are saved and backlogged for later. Maybe they will fit a different scenario.
Leading by following takes guts, you have to subvert your ego – but this is a small price to pay for the collaborative results that follow.
