🎙️ Julie Zhuo: Learning to manage like a leader – Design Better

Listen at https://www.designbetter.co/podcast/julie-zhuo

Podcast blog at https://www.designbetter.co/podcast/julie-zhuo

Notes

• You don’t necessarily have to be a better designer than all your reports (competent yes but not necessarily the best). As a leader you have to help everybody else do their best and be a force multiplier.
• Best athletes in the world don’t necessarily have coaches who are better at sports than them.
• What matters is trust. Trust is build when people think they can be open and vulnerable with you and you can help them achieve their goals and support them. For that you also have to show up and be vulnerable and open . The principle of reciprocity. Ask for feedback in the process of helping them out.
• It’s not only about fostering relationship with your reports it is also important to create an environment wherein all team members can foster intra-team relationships as well and are productive.
• Writing is a strong way/tool to organize ones thoughts. 
• As a leader create an environment where everybody is open to participate. Example: giving out post it notes and collating them in the end to help everybody to participate and be heard.
• It can be difficult to be a manager if u care too much about the craft of the thing like visual design etc. 
• Manager is a job / role like a teacher etc. whereas leadership is a quality one has to learn. All managers need to be good leaders. But one need not be a manager to be a leader. 
• Communication is the key to resolve conflict. Being able to represent and present teams work.
• Measure how do people feel while using your product in addition to engagement metric.