Leading Through Complexity with Sarah Stokes: Building Design Maturity and High-Impact Teams

In this episode we sit down with Sarah Stokes, a veteran of 25+ years to explore her experiences as a design leader. Whether you’re a Senior Designer eyeing your first lead role or a Head of Design struggling to build your teams authority, this conversation is your roadmap.We dive deep into:The Influence Myth: Why "doing good work" isn't enough and how to make influence a "team sport."The Research Phase: Why every new design leader should treat their first 90 days like a UX research project.Feedback as Sport: Learning from professional athletes to separate "critique of the work" from "critique of the human."Complex Systems: Navigating team dynamics, psychological safety, and the "player-coach" evolution.The Transition: Real talk on the shift away from the tools and how to "act as if" before you get the title.Why Listen? As the design landscape shifts the ability to communicate value and lead adaptive teams becomes increasingly important. Tune in for tactical advice on building design maturity and leading with authenticity.