I’m being pulled in two directions
A design leader gets real about the tension between strategy and delivery.
A design leader and I chatted about a situation that’s been keeping them up at night. In their part of the company, this leader has built up a strong track record and earned a seat at the table. But when they engage with the broader global organisation, they find themselves facing competing demands and conflicting perceptions of design’s role.
Here’s our conversation (edited for clarity and confidentiality):
Me: “What’s on your mind?”
Design Leader: “Something weird is happening with my role. Our global leadership team has started including me in strategic discussions around product direction and market opportunities. They seem to value design’s perspective.”
Me: “That sounds positive?”
Design Leader: “It is. I’ve pushed for this kind of influence. But now I’m juggling two very different sets of expectations. In strategy meetings, I’m expected to think high-level and long-term. But day-to-day, my team is under intense pressure to deliver on tactical demands. We are severely under-staffed, to the point where I’m still deep in tactical work. “
Me: “Seems like the global view of design is evolving unevenly.”
Design Leader: “Exactly. Parts of global leadership are eager for design’s strategic input. But in other corners, old perceptions persist. Just last week, I got conflicting feedback. In one meeting, an exec wanted my take on our 5-year vision. An hour later, another wanted to know why the new icon set wasn’t perfectly pixel aligned.”
Me: “How’s your team handling these mixed messages?”
Design Leader: “They’re excited to see design shaping key decisions. We worked hard to earn that seat at the table. But it’s tough for them to watch me get pulled into strategy sessions while their own workloads are overflowing. I worry they feel abandoned in the day-to-day, especially as everyone knows our headcount is frozen till Q3 next year.”
Me: “Sounds unsustainable.”
Design Leader: “That’s what scares me. Parts of leadership are starting to see design’s strategic value. But we’re still primarily measured by how quickly we crank out polished screens. I’m afraid that any slip in tactical delivery could undermine the strategic progress we’ve made.”
Me: “So what’s next?”
Design Leader: “I need to have an honest conversation with leadership about the tension we’re facing. We’ve made great progress getting design into strategic discussions, but we can’t sustain that without reassessing our day-to-day operations and resourcing.”
Me: “What will you propose?”
Design Leader: “A few things. First, a hard look at our design processes to create more breathing room for strategic work. Second, a clearer definition of design’s evolving role and how our success should be measured. And third, a plan to thoughtfully grow the team to match our expanding scope of influence.”
Me: “How do you think they’ll respond?”
Design Leader: “I believe they’ll be receptive. I’ll remind them of the business impact design has already had when given a strategic voice. But I’ll also be frank about the risks if we continue to stretch the team thin. It’s a tricky balance, but one I think we have to push for.”
Me: “It’s a challenge I hear from a lot of design leaders right now. Pushing for that strategic influence while fighting for the team’s ability to deliver at a high level day-to-day. There’s no easy answer.”
Design Leader: “Agreed. I’m certainly not the only one grappling with this.”
This tension between design’s strategic potential and the tactical pressures on teams is a common refrain from design leaders. I’m curious to hear from other folks wrestling with similar challenges. How are you balancing strategic aspirations with day-to-day execution realities? What’s helping and where are you getting stuck?
Hi, I’m Mindaugas.
I’ve spent the past decade working with designers from companies like Netflix, Google, Amazon, Intercom, and OpenAI. At On Deck, I built the Design Fellowship, and at InVision, I created design communities on a global scale. Before this, I was a design recruiter which enabled me to help 100’s of designers land their dream jobs.
Through thousands of conversations, I’ve helped designers navigate career transitions, land roles they didn’t think possible, get promotions, and understand what’s happening in the market.
Now, I’m building Coho, a private network for designers to have the kinds of conversations that change careers. Small, focused groups meet every two weeks to tackle challenges, exchange insights, and grow together.
Free career support
- In February, I’m hosting two FREE lightning lessons with Maven:
- Why Designers Get Stuck: Patterns from 1,000 Conversations
- Intentional Career Mapping: Future-Proof Your Design Path
Both are short, focused sessions packed with insights I’ve gathered from working with designers like you.
2. Free career navigation & layoff office hours
I also host free office hours for designers navigating layoffs or career transitions. Small groups of max 5 designers, honest conversations, every Thursday at 9am PST. Book a spot here.
