Possibility Principle of Design

I often talk about the importance of discovery. About taking time to understand before deciding. About slowing down to learn before rushing to deliver. And then, a week later, I’m the one asking, “So, when will we have something to show?” That’s when I feel the sting of

Most of us in corporate life are trained actors. We just never got the Oscar. From the moment you land your first “real” job, the lesson is clear: look confident, sound confident, and for the love of quarterly earnings, never admit you do not know what is going on. I

I often feel the urge to provide answers. It happens in meetings when silence hangs in the air and people look at me. It happens when a project slows down and the team seems unsure of the next step. I know that if I speak, my words will move things

Over the past year my role has been shifting. For a long time, I was close to the work. I ran forums, shaped decisions, and made sure things moved forward. If something felt unclear, I stepped in. If momentum slowed, I found ways to push it along. Being close gave

When I think about my own path as a leader, one word keeps coming back. Trust. Trust isn't something you earn once and then carry forever. It has to be sustained. It grows through small choices, tested in uncertain moments, and strengthened when people show they believe in

Ideas rarely fail at launch. They fade in the silence that follows. Rhythm is what keeps them breathing and what turns ambition into progress. In the global design team I'm fortunate to lead, we have a rhythm every second week where we pause to look back at our

In the 1970s, Kodak invented the first digital camera. The prototype worked, the potential was obvious, and the engineers were excited. But leadership hesitated. Should they pursue digital and risk cannibalizing their film business? Should they wait and watch the market? Should they double down on what already made them

In one workshop I facilitated, two teams were convinced they were working on the same initiative. "We're building a tool," one manager said confidently. "No, it's not a tool, it's a process," another insisted. A leader in the room added,

The pause was quiet. But it wasn't idle. I stepped back from the churn. The meetings, the deliverables, the relentless forward motion that makes you feel productive while slowly eroding your ability to think. And in that stillness, I saw what I'd been too busy to

“The space between where you are and where you want to be is where leadership lives.” — Brené Brown Design thrives in motion. But it deepens in stillness. I've spent the past year immersed in The Possibility Principle of Design. Exploring how we lead change, shape systems, move with

“Speed is useful only if you are running in the right direction.” Bill Gates Many years ago, I worked with a client that looked like they were winning. Sharp team. Generous budget. A roadmap packed with features. Processes were tight. Sprints were smooth. Velocity was high. They were shipping constantly.

“Ambiguity is the playground of the possible.” — Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit Michael Bungay Stanier has a way of naming what most frameworks skip over. That uncertainty isn't the enemy. It's the entry point. That's stayed with me for years. Because

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” — Albert Einstein Writing The Possibility Principle of Design isn't just about organizing ideas. It's about staying with the very tension the book is trying to name. Because real change doesn't start with clarity. It

Most systems reward what's easy to control. Timelines. Forecasts. Plans you can track in a spreadsheet. We manage what we can measure. We fund what we can predict. And then we wonder why transformation never quite takes. Here's the quiet strain most leaders carry but rarely

I've spent years being called in after the decisions are made. The strategy's locked. The vision's set. The direction's been blessed by leadership. And then the brief arrives: "Make this work. Make it usable. Make it beautiful." I know this

I'm writing a book I swore I'd never write. Not because I lack opinions. God knows I have plenty. I've been that guy with the uncomfortable observation for 30 years. The one pointing out what everyone's politely ignoring. My colleagues have loved