Why Design Leadership Matters in 2024
6 Reasons — Make sure to read #6
Hello beautiful people,
Welcome to 2024. We made it.
If you are coming here from my Instagram (@josecaballer) and reading my post on Design Leadership I am going to repeat it and add a little bit of meat to each reason in my Why Design Leadership Matters in 2024 — listicle.
If not, here we go anyway.
1. Designers solve problems. The world has problems. Why don’t we work together to solve some of them?
This might be a simplistic formula, and my logical brain is raising its hand and asking questions. Questions like: “Is it really any of my business? Shouldn’t I be focused on my own problem? But I gotta eat. Gotta…”
On my journey as a creative entrepreneur I have always pursued doing what I love — but doing it as a way to make a living. Combining “Purpose, with talent and with opportunity. Call it “Conscious Capitalism” if you’d like.
The art of using all the parts of who you are at all times. Something I learned well from chefs. Using every part of the ingredient, like using the peels from a butternut squash to make stock for soup.
Eg. Here is the one sheet from 2012 for the business idea that became The Skool and is now The Futur.
The point is this. The problem this idea was trying to solve, was my own. I was the “Customer Profile” — The Jose Abraham Caballer 10 years before. Who needed help starting his design business.
Lesson: Start by solving your problems and maybe there is a business in there that could help others too if you share what you are learning. 1. Have Problem 2. Learn Solution 3. Teach it to others. (Hint. This accelerates our progress)
2. You might say, “I am not the leadership type,” or “I don’t want to lead people or teams.”
Bullpoo, I can guarantee that you are already doing it.
If I had a dollar for every time this comes up in conversations with designers. “I am not the leadership type” is a frequent if not the most common response when I suggest to someone that they should step up.
Well, I will turn the pointy finger around and point it at me.
Dear Jose Abraham Caballer, step up.
You are a Design Leader. Start by leading yourself, start by prioritizing what you need, making requests from yourself and the people around you as to what you need. Listen to your intuition, your body, and those around you that love you. Take leadership of your mind, body, and spirit. And the rest will follow.
Lesson: It’s ok to be a leader of 1. I rarely if never tell anyone to step up and become a leader. But I do invite you to consider that you are already a leader and we could sure use more.
3. Everyone is a designer, but not everyone is a “Designer,” with a capital D.
Big “D” Designers know how to use their skills across all dimensions of life and work. The home, community, and family…
Design with a “Capital D” is an acknowledgment that in the process of being human every day, we have to make choices. Many choices, how we make those choices across life and work, home and community matters.
How do we align all of our choices? How do we manage our time and energy so that we can “Design the life we want?”
How do we become the director of our movie? How do we get the big “D” on our title?
Lesson: Not everyone is a big “D” Designer. Aligning life, work, and community around your purpose is part of the process of getting that. “And clearly José has a follow-up on this coming up somewhere?! The guy wouldn’t leave me hanging…”
4. Since “everyone is a designer,” the space is suuuuuper crowded, right?
Wrong. There is only one YOU. So start acting like it! “But Mom! Billy is a designer too! And he is cooler!”
I am talking to myself here. I myself have suffered from the “Well, it’s not worth becoming a Design Leader (online, etc) since it’s such a crowded space.”
However, I did get an insight as to why by a fellow traveler New Years eve.
“You work hard, really hard, but you need it all to be connected to your why, otherwise it doesn’t work for you.”
So the question is then, “Who am I to be a Design Leader!?!” Why should I be listened to?
Well, that goes into the question of “what is leadership?”
Lesson: Unmute yourself! Tell your story. You are a leader. Whether you want it or not. You can develop your core leadership skills.
5. Leadership is a skill that can be developed.
Develop your vision, communicate it, listen to others, make decisions, influence others, and learn to hold yourself accountable to your vision.
Leadership is basically the ability to move the narrative in a certain direction. It is the ability of an individual or a group of people to influence and guide others.
I’ve been told that I am a good leader. But I will be honest, I have washed ashore on the rocky shores of many a quest in the last 10 years. At some point, I questioned myself, lost confidence in my leadership, and had to re-access my approach.
But the rocks on those shores helped me learn to listen more, to communicate better, to hold myself accountable to my vision for my life.
Lesson: Learning to set a vision for your life, communicate to everyone around you, listening to others (and your intuition.) and holding yourself accountable are all part of the journey.
6. When we design our lives, and work, intentionally, and unite with other (Intentional Creators) in community, others who are also Design Leaders and are clear on their purpose and vision, and are hungry to create a new world, then we can see real change happen around us.
I will summarize this into a formula:
Use Your Design Skill on Yourself (Unmute Yourself) = Design the life and work you love.
Then Find the Others like You (Find the Others) = And share how you did it.
Build the Future You Want Together (Build Community) = The world
If this sounds like the plot of every anime film ever (I am thinking One Piece).
It is the story of humanity. It is the story of mastery. It’s my story. It’s your story. It is “The Designer’s Journey.” (Big “D”)
If you want to join me on my Design Leadership journey this year let me know!
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Much love,
-jc
P.S. “Sooooo Captain, what is the takeaway from this thrilling journey through your six-item listicle/manifesto of empowerment, collaboration and Design leadership?”
Ok. Sure. Let’s ask Chat GPT what it thinks it is, and let’s ask it to “Spice it up” a notch. Make it more “Adventurous” sounding.
- Unite and Conquer: Forge alliances and collaborate to achieve greatness.
- Leadership Unleashed: Step into the realm of full leadership, embracing your inner commander.
- The Fusion Quest: Seamlessly integrate the realms of work and life for a holistic existence.
- Your Epic Saga: Recognize the power of your unique voice in this vast universe; it’s a beacon of change.
- Mastery of Command: Continuously hone your leadership skills, sharpening them like a warrior’s sword.
- Architects of Tomorrow: Together, let’s construct a future that resonates with our shared vision and aspirations.
PPS. I think Chat GPT is reading my listicle a bit more aggressively than I would like. But let’s leave it for now. Just for fun.
