When it comes to leadership, many top companies (Pepsi, Nike, Apple, Google, to name just a few) deploy design thinking, which helps to deal with an unpredictable future.
Design thinking is about noticing visual patterns which subsequently assist in identifying optimum solutions. It is used to connect the dots in order to identify a solution for a particular problem. Listen to people, get them to contribute ideas and also allow them to make a difference. This advice comes from an article on the addicted2success.com website.
What do things look like in practice?
Design thinking is solution-focused
Such an approach requires a solution-centric mindset. It is about proper definition of the core problem and then finding the best solution. The best leaders know they create value by coming up with solutions that tackle complex problems. They make a difference by resolving conflicts and solving problems.
In order to do that, leaders need to see the overall picture; otherwise, it is impossible to connect and correlate things. Design thinking enables us to visualise the problem and helps us grasp the constraints and desired solutions. Especially when we are dealing with abstract concepts, this is very helpful.
Empathy and inclusiveness
Leadership is first and foremost about empathy. You must have the respect of your team, clients and other stakeholders involved. To earn such respect, show both empathy and understanding as regards their needs. From the very outset, design thinking is all about end-users: it provides a framework for thinking which is based on empathy and inclusiveness.
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