This year, we’re building a living handbook for design leaders. In Part 1, we introduced the thinking behind it, why we’re choosing to build this in the open, and how we hope it becomes something shaped through shared experience rather than fixed opinion.

Part 2 is where we begin to get into the substance of the work itself.

Over the past few years, design capability has expanded significantly. Teams have grown, investment has increased, and design is now present in more strategic conversations than ever before. Yet despite this progress, impact often remains uneven. This is rarely about a lack of talent or intent. More often, it comes down to leadership, and the ability to connect creative ambition, business value and human understanding in a way that is coherent and sustained over time.

In this article, we explore three core intelligences that underpin high impact design leadership. Creative Intelligence is the ability to set direction when the answer does not yet exist. It shows up in how problems are framed, how ambiguity is navigated, and how space is created for possibility before moving towards resolution. Business Intelligence is the ability to connect design to value and navigate the systems through which organisations operate. It shapes how design leaders engage in decision-making, position their work, and translate ideas into outcomes that matter. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to build trust, alignment and momentum through others. It becomes visible in how tension is handled, how people are listened to, and how the conditions are created for others to contribute and grow.

These are not abstract qualities. They are capabilities that show up in practice, in meetings, in conversations, and in moments of pressure or uncertainty. They shape how others experience working with you, and ultimately, the impact you are able to have. Everything in this article is grounded in what we have seen over nearly three decades working with design leaders in complex organisations.

As with the first article, this is intentionally a draft. Something to be used, questioned and built upon. In the next part, we will begin to explore Creative Intelligence in more depth, drawing on the lived experience of design leaders and how these capabilities play out in real organisational contexts.

If you have a few minutes, we would encourage you to read the full article, reflect on your own experience, and share your perspective.

The High Impact Design Leader / Part 2

Thank you, as always, for being part of the conversation,

Team PARK