Design leadership as a subversive activity

Design leadership is about subverting existing structures before they fail, rather than adding new structure. It's about monitoring the role of entropy in how teams operate and using anti-entropic feedback to facilitate evolution. Design leaders should focus on outcomes, not outputs, and cast themselves as learners who solicit change and listen to their team members. The goal is to achieve balance between focus and flexibility, allowing for curiosity and new ideas to emerge while preventing the buildup of entropy. By constantly asking "How could we do this differently?", design leaders can create an environment that encourages growth and innovation.