Secrets to Leading Creative Teams and the Role of Chief Design Officer Revealed with Eric Quint
Sun Dec 14 2025
Eric Quint, a prominent design leader and author, discusses the critical aspects of effective design leadership, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, the distinction between design as strategy versus tactics, and the need for a governance framework to elevate design within organizations.
In this episode, he shares insights on measuring the impact of design, building a design center, and navigating organizational politics. Quint also highlights the significance of intuition, creativity, and the ability to say no in design leadership, providing valuable takeaways for aspiring design leaders.
Eric is former Chief Brand and Design Officer at 3M Company (United States) and former Vice President and Head of Design Management and Consulting at Royal Philips (the Netherlands).
Eric’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericquint3mcdo/
Design Leadership Ignited - Elevating Design at Scale: https://www.sup.org/books/business/design-leadership-ignited (also available on Amazon)
Design leadership at scale requires leaders who design the design function, establish a thriving environment for the creative team, and shape the design organization to drive progress, advance innovation, and enhance meaningful customer experiences.
Eric’s white papers and publications (Linkedin Featured section):
* Foreword for book “Research for Designers” by Gjoko Muratovski (3rd edition, 2024)
* Journal of Innovation Management: “Collaborative Creativity: A Design Approach to Systemic Challenges Navigating the Innovation Ecosystem.”
* Journal of Design and Allied Sciences: “Designing the Future: How Balanced Design Leadership Can Drive Desirable Futures.”
* California Management Review: Leadership to Elevate Design At Scale: Balancing Conflicting Imperatives
* Foreword for book “Futures By Design” by Corà-Fazio-Collura (2023).
Takeaways:
Collaboration is essential for effective design leadership.
Design should be viewed as a strategic capability, not just a tactical function.
Engaging stakeholders is crucial for demonstrating design’s value.
Establishing a governance framework for design is necessary for success.
Measuring design impact requires a focus on progress rather than just financial KPIs.
Creating a design center can significantly enhance design’s role in an organization.
Navigating organizational politics is a key skill for design leaders.
Intuition and creativity play vital roles in design leadership.
Aspiring design leaders should focus on building influence and resilience.
Understanding the business language is important for design leaders.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ggutt.substack.com
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Eric Quint, a prominent design leader and author, discusses the critical aspects of effective design leadership, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, the distinction between design as strategy versus tactics, and the need for a governance framework to elevate design within organizations. In this episode, he shares insights on measuring the impact of design, building a design center, and navigating organizational politics. Quint also highlights the significance of intuition, creativity, and the ability to say no in design leadership, providing valuable takeaways for aspiring design leaders. Eric is former Chief Brand and Design Officer at 3M Company (United States) and former Vice President and Head of Design Management and Consulting at Royal Philips (the Netherlands). Eric’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericquint3mcdo/ Design Leadership Ignited - Elevating Design at Scale: https://www.sup.org/books/business/design-leadership-ignited (also available on Amazon) Design leadership at scale requires leaders who design the design function, establish a thriving environment for the creative team, and shape the design organization to drive progress, advance innovation, and enhance meaningful customer experiences. Eric’s white papers and publications (Linkedin Featured section): * Foreword for book “Research for Designers” by Gjoko Muratovski (3rd edition, 2024) * Journal of Innovation Management: “Collaborative Creativity: A Design Approach to Systemic Challenges Navigating the Innovation Ecosystem.” * Journal of Design and Allied Sciences: “Designing the Future: How Balanced Design Leadership Can Drive Desirable Futures.” * California Management Review: Leadership to Elevate Design At Scale: Balancing Conflicting Imperatives * Foreword for book “Futures By Design” by Corà-Fazio-Collura (2023). Takeaways: Collaboration is essential for effective design leadership. Design should be viewed as a strategic capability, not just a tactical function. Engaging stakeholders is crucial for demonstrating design’s value. Establishing a governance framework for design is necessary for success. Measuring design impact requires a focus on progress rather than just financial KPIs. Creating a design center can significantly enhance design’s role in an organization. Navigating organizational politics is a key skill for design leaders. Intuition and creativity play vital roles in design leadership. Aspiring design leaders should focus on building influence and resilience. Understanding the business language is important for design leaders. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ggutt.substack.com