DtG #6: The fine line between leadership and gatekeeping.

Welcome to Designing the Gap! We've been going through some internal alignment at work lately—roadmaps, strategy, that sort of thing—and it’s got me thinking about one of the biggest mistakes design leaders can make: gatekeeping.

Sometimes, gatekeeping comes from a good place. Well-meaning managers want to shield their teams from unnecessary friction, internal politics, or corporate noise. So they keep designers focused on "the work" and only bring them into conversations when it directly concerns "the work."

Sometimes, gatekeeping comes from a bad place. A small number of managers hoard control over their team’s time and exposure, tightly managing the narrative around their team and its output. That’s the kind of toxicity that requires systemic change, not just better leadership.

I want to focus on the gatekeeping that comes from a good place and why this instinct can do more harm than good. This is something I’ve learned through experience. I’ve long prided myself on being an empathetic leader, but I’ve come to realize that empathy isn’t just about protecting your team. It’s about empowering them. And sometimes, protecting them too much can actually disempower them.

Strategy & decision-making

Too many design leaders keep their teams focused on execution while making strategic decisions behind closed doors. Designers who are only given tactical work don’t develop the skills needed to think critically about the broader product vision. Instead of keeping strategy discussions exclusive to leadership, involve designers early. This isn’t just about the strategy discussions you’re directly involved in—share insights from ones you’re aware of too. Give your team context, let them contribute ideas, and help them understand the ‘why’ behind decisions.

I like to involve my team as much as possible when we're roadmapping. Since I currently run a design system team where I also serve as the product manager, I have the advantage of leading design-driven roadmaps. I recognize that this isn’t always feasible in more product-focused teams, where priorities are often set in collaboration with multiple disciplines.

One practical way I involve my team in strategic thinking—something that applies to any type of team—is through the co-creation of design briefs. I start with the background and objectives of the work, then use that as a foundation for discussions about goals and project scope. This approach fosters a deeper sense of ownership, ensuring team members feel invested in both the strategic direction and the decisions they’ll make along the way.

For Staff Designers, whose roles are even more deeply rooted in strategy, I take this a step further. I often ask them to define the objectives and scope of work as a first pass, then iterate on it with them. This not only strengthens their strategic thinking but also reinforces their ability to drive design independently.

Stakeholder relationships

Good design work doesn’t happen in isolation. Yet, it’s common for design leaders to act as gatekeepers between their team and stakeholders—PMs, engineers, and executives. While advocating for the team has its place, keeping designers out of key conversations deprives them of crucial learning opportunities.

One pattern I’ve noticed is a strange title-based hierarchy in these interactions. If it’s a conversation with the working team, it’s acceptable for the designer to handle it. But as discussions move further up the chain, managers are often expected to speak on behalf of their ICs. This binary thinking is a mistake.

When leaders always present work on behalf of their team, they rob designers of the chance to build confidence and visibility. Designers should be presenting their own work, receiving feedback directly, and learning how to articulate design rationale to different audiences. Yes, it might take longer, and yes, it might require coaching—but it’s worth it. Make sure they’re in the room. Seeing firsthand how decisions are made, how trade-offs are negotiated, and how to advocate for design in cross-functional settings is invaluable for their growth.

Where leadership does add value is in distilling the outcomes of these conversations—helping designers understand what to act on and what to ignore. If a stakeholder is particularly dismissive of design, there’s merit in stepping in to manage the conversation. But the first step should always be ensuring designers are in the room in the first place.

Hiring & team building

Some leaders keep hiring decisions and team culture initiatives to themselves, but the best teams involve ICs in these discussions. Designers should have a voice in who gets hired, what values the team prioritizes, and how culture evolves. Bringing them into these conversations ensures better alignment and a stronger sense of shared ownership.

In a previous role, my company did a great job of involving team members at all levels in the hiring process. ICs participated in hiring panels for managers, and teams felt more confident about new hires because they had already met them. This approach created a sense of shared responsibility and trust in the hiring process.

However, when that company was acquired, this changed. Interviewing became more limited to immediate working groups, and ICs were no longer consistently invited to meet candidates for manager roles. Similarly, managers were not always involved in interviewing the directors who would oversee them.

This kind of top-down decision-making erodes trust and creates a disconnect between leadership and the teams they oversee. When hiring decisions happen in a vacuum, employees may feel like they have little say in shaping their team culture, leading to disengagement and misalignment.

The best teams foster a sense of ownership by involving ICs not just in peer hiring but also in leadership hires that will directly impact them. When designers have a say in who joins the team, they are more invested in maintaining a culture of collaboration and excellence. Great leadership means building teams with people, not just for them.

Other things leaders tend to gatekeep

• Culture. Team culture is rarely a model of what the team needs if it is dictated from the top down. Agendas for team ceremonies and ideas for team-building activities should involve input from the team itself and, when appropriate, be led by them. Some of the best ideas I’ve seen have come from my team: things like "We should have someone do a ‘day in the life’ session" or "I'd love to share something I learned recently." These contributions are key to building a culture the whole team feels invested in.

• Access to senior leadership. Because design managers often act as intermediaries between leadership and ICs, we may unintentionally limit our team's direct exposure to decision-makers. When designers get face time with executives, they gain a stronger understanding of company priorities and how to advocate for design at a strategic level. If your leaders don’t already hold skip-level meetings and office hours, encourage them to start. If they do, push your team to take advantage of them.

• Career development opportunities. Leaders sometimes unintentionally control access to stretch projects, conference attendance, or high-visibility initiatives. While not every opportunity can be open to everyone, leaders should create transparent systems where ICs can express interest and self-nominate, rather than making these decisions behind closed doors.

Strive for leadership through access, not control

Gatekeeping often comes from a place of wanting to protect designers or maintain order, but real leadership is about enabling your team, not restricting them. The best design leaders open doors instead of closing them—giving their teams the tools, context, and opportunities to grow into stronger designers and future leaders themselves.

That said, not all gatekeeping is bad. There are moments where stepping in as a leader is necessary—to provide air cover, to manage politics, or to shield a designer from an unreasonable stakeholder. The key is knowing when stepping in is genuinely helpful versus when it’s holding people back. Good leadership isn’t about control—it’s about making sure the right people get the right opportunities at the right time.

Things I’ve been reading this week:

• A crisis of meaning in UX design by James Harrison. It has felt a lot lately like working in UX has lost its spark. Many designers are feeling burned out and disillusioned as UX shifts from innovation to cost-cutting and AI automation. James explores why the work has lost its spark and how designers can reclaim meaning by aligning with business impact, exploring emerging fields, and pushing for more purposeful work.

• Will the future of software development run on vibes? by Benj Edwards. AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor Composer are enabling “vibe coding”—describing what you want and letting AI generate the code, no deep understanding required. As designers join in, discussions are growing about how this trend could shape software design. This article unpacks its benefits, risks, and long-term impact.

• The HiPPO effect in product design by Nick Babich. Ever had a boss shut down an idea just because they feel it should be different? That’s the HiPPO effect—when the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion overrides data and research. Nick breaks down how this has led to big flops like New Coke and Windows 8 and shares how to push back by involving leadership early and speaking their language.