I need to clarify what I mean by designer as the term can throw a wide net that is going to catch some stragglers that don't really belong on the “must hire list”. To name just a few my list of desireable designers are architects (arch, interior arch and landscape arch), industrial designers, fashion/ film designers and graphic designers. I stick to this basic list because it encompasses professions that have degrees specifically designed to produce the professionals. Meaning college isn't some arbitrary list of classes, but a program specifically curated to produce an end product...trained young professionals. The list should also lean towards design professions that have options for becoming licensed.

Ok, now that we got the boring crap out of the way, let’s talk about what makes these people such a great pool of leaders. It’s really quite simple; process. Any designer that has reached some level of success in their career has developed a process for identifying and evaluating problems and a clear path for finding a solution for said problem. What this means is that as a business grows and problems need to be solved in general they will approach these problems pragmatically. This is not a guarantee of success and I have actually considered writing the counter article to this on why designers could make bad CEOs. Such is the foundation for a good design analysis is seeing the pros and cons of any solution. After all there are no absolutes.

It is really easy to jump to identify these people coming from shops we consider to be a good balance of creativity and business acumen. Leo Burnett, Digitas, etc. But often times within these walls teams are comprised of production vs client management personnel where you have to “cross aisles” to complete projects and work is divided into silos. This is no indictment on any of those great organizations, rather trying to highlight the off shoot opportunities to find the owner operators, small business owners and leaders that have climbed the ranks from entry level positions. Conceptually these are the people that have a foundation in design, but have found enough success to become leaders within their organizations. This is the person that can talk gross margins, P/L statements and organizational charts, but still has a good old yellow #2 pencil and triangle within arms reach. They understand the importance of time management to remain profitable, but also know there are times when a project just needs a little more attention. Always ask and architect “does form follow function?” as this should give you some great insight to their foundations as a designer and potentially a leader.

If you ever find yourself interviewing a designer (and you are not a designer) here are a few questions to ask:

What was the worst design mistake you ever made?

Tell me about a pitch meeting that went poorly?

Who is your favorite designer? Ok, this one is a trick. I can’t answer this question as I’m not a student of history, but it fun to watch a designer squirm.

Kids these days, right? This has nothing to do with millennials and work habits, but how technology has changed the entire design industry in the last 10-15 years.

What you should come to expect from a designer as a leader is someone that is inquisitive and thoughtful. Someone that will approach problems pragmatically and will deliver a critical thinking process to any problem. Process is foundational to all design programs no matter the field and would be a welcome trait to any leader.