As I reflect on the incredible talks and conversations, here are a few standout takeaways that come to mind...
There is power in community
There is always a tangible feeling of camaraderie in the room at Leading Design events. But this year, there was a real conviction around the importance of design leaders to not only focus on themselves but to nurture the next generation of leaders. There was a collective focus on how leaders show up for themselves and others, setting the tone for continued growth and mentorship within the Leading Design community.
Design drives change
Change emerged as a central theme. Maria Giudice opened the conference with the idea of ‘change makers’, and our responsibility as design leaders to implement design concepts when driving change across our organisations. This idea was reinforced by Chris How, who spoke about shaping organisational culture through conscious leadership, and Nishat Akhtar, who emphasised that how we show up as leaders sets the tone for change.
Leadership goes beyond the title
Vuokko Aro spoke brilliantly around the idea of finding your authentic superpower as a design leader. She explained that if we don’t show up as designers in the boardroom, we try to morph to reflect others around the table and end up doing a disservice to ourselves and to the business.
Katrina Alcorn delivered a pep talk about the incredible versatility of design leaders’ skill sets, and how we can leverage these skills beyond traditional design roles, extending to chief roles. Because at the core, every challenge is a design problem, and a human-centred approach to leadership can transform our careers and our organisations. Having said this, Tom Takigayama challenged us to keep our egos in check and not to fear moving back and forth between leadership and personal passion.
Leading in times of turmoil is ultimately just leading
Now, more than ever, design leaders must navigate their teams through uncertainty. Will Miner’s talk on turmoil set the tone for discussing culture within organisations. Turmoil will impact us as leaders and, consequently, our teams, so it’s crucial to have a backdrop of core leadership skills to draw on. Similarly, Fonz Morris encouraged us to build out the skills of collaboration, communication, and conversation in preparation for the challenges we will inevitably face. Erin Casali provided really helpful insights from both a practical and psychological standpoint, unpacking how, during times of turmoil and change, respectful and actionable feedback is essential.
Speak the language of business
Ryan Scott tackled the hot topic of proving design’s business impact, encouraging leaders to focus on asking the right questions rather than trying to prove the ROI of design in the wrong context. As an interesting aside, half of this year’s Leading Design conference speakers, including Ryan, have MBAs, demonstrating the importance of business acumen in design leadership.
Focus on the future
Tey Bannerman’s insights on the evolution of design leadership encouraged us to think about how we are setting the stage for the next wave of leaders. This theme of looking ahead was underscored by Chris How’s reflection on Clearleft’s 20-year history and a forward glance at the impact of emerging technology on the future of design, which aligns with our Leading Design New York event on 27 March 2025, where 40 design leaders will gather in Manhattan to shape a shared vision for the future of design leadership in an AI-driven world.
Take ownership of your narrative
Christina Goldschmidt gave an empowering talk about taking ownership of our stories, no matter what happened. She helped us understand that what some may see as setbacks can actually be unique moments to craft competitive differentiators for your career and how the transformative power of storytelling can help you continuously unlock career success.
The planet is primary user
In the face of all our discussions on change, potentially one of the largest changes that is going on affects the planet. Julia Whitney and Ray Ho concluded this year’s conference with a discussion around ‘planet as primary user’, with provocations around how we as leaders can design with the planet in mind and integrate sustainability into our practice.
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I'd love to see you there!
Rebecca and the Leading Design team.
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