“When you are going
through Hell, keep going.”

4 June 1940: Battle of Dunkirk

Operation Dynamo: The Great Evacuation

338,226 Soldiers Were Rescued

68,000 British Casualties

290,000 French Casualties

June 10, 1940: Three Historical Facts

June 14, 1940: Paris Falls

June 23, 1940: Hitler Visits Paris

28 June 1940: Europe

“The Battle for France is Over.”

“Battle of Britain is About to Begin.”

“When you are going
through Hell, keep going.”

How You Can Change
the World?

DALLAS
HOUSTON

Why Leadership?

Research and Testing Expert

International Speaker

Writer of Books and Articles

Keynote Author on SlideShare

Addison Treehouse Mentor

SMU Instructor for UX

UXPA Dallas President

Coached Boy’s Soccer (104-12)

Conference Organizer

Ethics of Leadership

Ethics is not about:
“Do This” and
“Don’t Do This”

Ethics answers this
profound question:
“What makes me happy?”

“When you are going
through Life, keep going.”

You are here!

Pride

Pride is believing you are better
than someone else. Pride (or
hubris) is the most common flaw
in Greek tragedies and myths.
Dante and Virgil see prideful
people must carry heavy rocks
that force them to bow down and
be more grounded.

How does a design leader
account for pride in
themselves and their team?

Are You Really Doing These Things?
Usability
Testing
User
Research

“Humility is not thinking
less of yourself, it is
thinking of yourself less.”

Whose Shoes?
User
Research

“Before you walk a mile in
my shoes, you have to take
your own shoes off.”

Insights or Ammo?
Usability
Testing

We talk about:
“Know Thy User.”
We should also say:
“Honor Thy User.”

Envy

Envy is a jealous feeling or a very
resentful longing for someone else’s
possessions or qualities. It is when
you covet what they have.
When Dante and Virgil meet
envious people, their eyes have
been sewn shut. They lose outer
sight, but they gain insight.

How does a design leader
handle envious people,
especially gossiping?

Know the Nuances
Grapevine GossipDiscussions

Discussions are Positive
Discussions
Workplace discussions are usually:
• Friendly
• Informational
• Supportive
There are no character assassinations or
bullying in these conversations.

Heated Discussions are Positive, Too
Discussions
Heated discussions are fine, when you:
• Use a respectful tone
• Listen to other viewpoints
• Focus on the problem, not the person
A heated discussion probably means you
are working on a wicked problem.

“In a heated discussion,
ask yourself this question:
Is it personal or personality?”

Grapevine = Rumors
Grapevine
Grapevine rumors usually run amok
because of:
• Poor communication
• Changes in the workplace
• Wild guesses by the staff
Grapevine rumors can be very damaging
and demoralizing. They can spread like
wildfire, too.

Gossiping is about Envy
Gossipers want attention. They will:
• Adopt a confidential tone
• Impart details to undermine a person
• Do character assassinations
• Create a me-versus-them mentality
You probably hear more information
than you want.
Gossiping

1. Don’t take it to heart.
2. Focus objectively.
3. Deal with it as a task.
4. Arm yourself with facts.
5. Review the context
6. Assess the sources.
7. Be a source of reassurance.
8. Confront the gossipers directly.
When You Get Targeted

1. Don’t participate in the gossip.
2. Ask gossiper about their motivation.
3. Focus on projects, not people.
4. Talk about competitors, not co-workers.
5. Tell gossiper you are prepared to
follow-up with the targeted person.
6. Talk about the positive aspects of
the person.
When Others Get Targeted

“The best revenge is
massive success.”

Wrath

Wrath is a vindictive anger, where
you seek to destroy a person. Wrath
lasts longer than whatever provoked it.
In Dante’s Purgatory, smoke fills the
eyes of wrathful souls. They find it
hard to see and breath.

How does a design leader
manage their own anger?
And the wrath of others?

“I’m going to destroy
Android because it is
a stolen product.
I’m willing to go to
thermonuclear war
on this.”
--Steve Jobs, 2010

iReally?

“You cannot expect
rational thinking from
an irrational person.”

Rationalization
JustificationBlame

Use Humor Tell a FriendFocus on Solutions

“Some people come into your
life as blessings.
Other people come into your
life as lessons.”
-- Mother Teresa

Sloth

Sloth is simply being lazy: mentally
and spiritually. On Mount Purgatory,
Dante and Virgil encounter:
• Lazy people that constantly move.
• Other lazy people jog and climb.
• The laziest run at top speed forever.

How does a design leader
stay motivated? How do they
keep their people engaged?

Manifestations of Laziness
Apathy Entitlement

Manifestations of Laziness
Giving Up Finger Pointing

Live in the Moment

Develop a Mission Driven Mindset

Change Behaviors

Develop Keystone Habits

Keystone Habits for Designers
Usability TestingUser Research

Hard Work = Integrity

“Work is not punishment.
It’s a reward that gives you
strength and pleasure.”

Greed

Greed is an insane desire to acquire (or
possess) more than you need. It can
lead to bribery, hoarding, and stealing.
Dante and Virgil see greedy people lie
naked on the ground because they were
concentrated on Earthly possessions.

How does a design leader
handle greedy or
possessive people?

• I design everything $100
• I design, you watch $200
• I design, you advise $300
• I design, you help $500
• You design, I help $750
• You design, I advise $1,500
• You design, I watch $2,500
• You design everything $5,000
Design Joke on Facebook

Typical Sales Funnel

Give Time, Talent, and Treasure

Share Your Tools

Leaders Share Knowledge

“No one have ever become
poor from giving.”
-- Maya Angelou

Gluttony

Gluttony is an over-consumption of
anything to the point of waste. Gluttons
consume too much, too fast, too soon,
too wildly, and too expensively.
On Mount Purgatory, it rains garbage and
the gluttons eat what they can find. Only
one of them notices Dante and Virgil.

Millions Line Up for the Latest iPhone

140 Million Trashed Yearly

1,150,000

5 Phones Per Second

Enough to Power for Two Years
2016 2017

Are You Reducing?

Are You Reusing?

Are You Recycling?

Are You Restoring?

Are Your Designs Accessible?

“Nothing is a
waste of time,
if you use the
experience wisely.”
-- Auguste Rodin

Lust

Lust is an intense desire for fame, sex,
money, or power. It is an unnatural
craving we use to justify bad choices.
In Dante’s Purgatory, lustful souls
twist and swirl in a tornado to symbolize
their own lack of self-control.

How does a design leader
handle temptations
and distractions?

People Lust for Fame

We Reject Speakers Yearly

Greedy
Spiteful
Snob
Egotistical
Hateful
Insipid

“Silence cannot
be misquoted.”

“The currency is in
the conversations.”

Create Boundaries

Speaker Voting System

Code of Conduct Policy

Green Room Policy

Blacklisted a Few Folks

Kicked Out a Few Folks

Speaker Orientation

Speaker Studio to Critique

Slides to Help You Prepare

Greedy
Spiteful
SnobIntellectual
Egotistical
Hateful
Insipid

“When you are going
to lead, keep leading.”

How to Lead at Work

“You don’t have to be a manager
to be a leader.”
Rule #1

“Leaders are readers.”
Rule #2

“Seek first to understand,
then to be understood.”
Rule #3

“Follow the ABCs:
Always Be Communicating.”
Rule #4

“Leaders are learners.”
Rule #5

“Don’t mistake silence
for acceptance.”
Rule #6

“Leaders are listeners.”
Rule #7

“Preparation determines
success.”
Rule #8

“Leaders build other leaders.”
Rule #9

“When you are going
through Hell, keep going.”
Rule #10