A lot of UX designers tell me:

💬 “I want to move into a leadership role.”

But when I ask, “What are you doing to prepare?” they say:

❌ “I’m improving my Figma skills.”

❌ “I’m working on more case studies.”

❌ “I’m taking another UX bootcamp.”

See the problem?

The skills that got you hired as a UX designer aren’t the same skills that will get you promoted into leadership.

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

👉 ICs (Individual Contributors) focus on execution.

• Polishing UI

• Running usability tests

• Delivering screens & flows

👉 UX Leaders focus on influence.

• Driving strategic decisions

• Managing cross-functional teams

• Negotiating resources & priorities

Want to Transition Into UX Leadership? Start Here:

📌 Think business, not just design.

• How does UX impact revenue, retention, efficiency?

• Can you speak in metrics, not just user insights?

📌 Learn to manage up.

• Do stakeholders see you as a strategic partner?

• Can you influence decisions beyond just “making it look better”?

📌 Develop team leadership skills.

• Can you mentor junior designers?

• Can you communicate design vision at a high level?

Moving into leadership isn’t about being the best designer in the room.

It’s about becoming the person who drives UX at a strategic level.

So if you’re still focused only on execution, it’s time to shift gears.

Need a leadership roadmap? Reply with “lead” and I’ll send you a guide on growing beyond an IC role.