Design Leadership
How Top Design Leaders Build and Grow Successful Organizations
Published on 4. December 2015
172 pages
978-1-4919-2917-9 (ISBN)
Description
What does it take to be the leader of a design firm or group? We often assume they have all the answers, but in this rapidly evolving industry they're forced to find their way like the rest of us. So how do good design leaders manage? If you lead a design group, or want to understand the people who do, this insightful book explores behind-the-scenes strategies and tactics from leaders of top design companies throughout North America.
Based on scores of interviews he conducted over a two-year period?from small companies to massive corporations like ESPN?author Richard Banfield covers a wide range of topics, including:
- How design leaders create a healthy company culture
- Innovative ways for attracting and nurturing talent
- Creating productive workspaces, and handling remote employees
- Staying on top of demands while making time for themselves
- Consistent patterns among vastly different leadership styles
- Techniques and approaches for keeping the work pipeline full
- Making strategic and tactical plans for the future
- Mistakes that design leaders made?and how they bounced back
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Content
- Intro
- Copyright
- Table of Contents
- Preface
- Why I Wrote This Book and for Whom
- How This Book Is Organized
- Chapter 1: Culture
- Chapter 2: Talent
- Chapter 3: Office Space and Remote Working
- Chapter 4: Personal Growth and Finding Balance
- Chapter 5: Planning for the Future
- Chapter 6: Leadership Styles
- Chapter 7: Sales and Marketing
- Chapter 8: Learning from Our Biggest Mistakes
- Companies Interviewed for This Book
- Acknowledgments
- Conventions Used in This Book
- Using Code Examples
- Safari® Books Online
- How to Contact Us
- Chapter 1. Culture
- Introduction
- It Starts with the People
- Culture Trickles Down from the Founders
- Safe and Happy Spaces
- Personality as Culture
- Laying the Foundation for Culture
- Deliberate Cultural Design
- Aligning People with Culture
- The Structure of Culture
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 2. Talent
- Introduction
- Small Teams and Building Out
- Developing Talent Is Similar to Developing a Sales Pipeline
- Which Came First, the Skills or the Passion?
- Hire People Smarter than You
- Diversity of Skills
- Grow out of Your Shoes, Not into Them
- Hire Coachable People Willing to Learn
- Growing Teams
- Finding Balance and Letting Go
- Apprenticeships
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 3. Office Space and Remote Working
- Introduction
- Selecting a Location
- How Space Enhances Brand Personality
- The Message Office Space Sends
- First We Shape the Space, Then It Shapes Us
- Design Leader as Interior Designer
- Move Space, Move Culture
- Layouts and Interior Design
- Leading Remote Teams
- The Space Between
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 4. Personal Growth and Finding Balance
- Introduction
- Finding the Right Focus
- Partners and Support
- Where the Inspiration and Support Comes from
- Designing Balance
- The Importance of Exercise
- All Work and No Play
- Planning for a Harmonious Future
- Rules and Routine
- Acquiring New Skills
- Soft Skills Have Big Upsides
- Growing Companies by Growing Leaders
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 5. Planning for the Future
- Introduction
- Natural Planners Versus Learned Planning
- That Pesky Ambiguous Future
- Aligning Plans to Culture
- Planning for Success, and Not the Other Thing
- Connecting the Dots
- Connecting Plans to Specific Revenue Outcomes
- Be Bolder and Wiser
- Staying Relevant
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 6. Leadership Styles
- Introduction
- Failure as a Gift
- Leading by Connecting
- Balancing Hard and Soft Approaches
- The Long-Term Style
- Lots of Styles, One Goal
- Leaders Draw the Best from Others
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 7. Sales and Marketing
- Introduction
- Opening Up
- Your Work Is Your Marketing
- Aligning Marketing with Mission
- Organizing for Optimal Outcomes
- Thought Leadership Is Your Marketing
- Converting Leads to Deals
- CEO as Chief Sales Officer
- Improving Sales by Turning Away Business
- Salespeople, Commissions, and Incentives
- Sales and Marketing Pipelines
- Creating Your Own Sales Lens
- Putting the Sales Lens to Use
- The Lens in Action
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Chapter 8. Learning from Our Biggest Mistakes
- Introduction
- The Business Is the Design Project
- Letting Go, Somewhat
- Managing Growth
- Working with Clients
- Making Better Mistakes
- Final Words
- Key Takeaways
- Index
- About the Author
