You may not realize it, but if you work on a design system, you’re doing leadership work.

Even if you’re not a manager. Even if no one reports to you.

Systems work is leadership by design.

Why?

Because you influence decisions at scale.

You shape:

• What gets reused

• What gets standardized

• What gets encouraged vs. avoided

That’s not just delivery work. That’s strategic direction.

Leadership shows up in how you:

• Push for clear naming

• Advocate for accessibility

• Say no to component bloat

• Handle feedback from skeptical teams

• Respond when someone forks your component

It’s all leadership. Quiet, invisible, powerful.

I once worked with a junior designer on a design system team who said, “I don’t feel qualified to tell other teams how to build.”

But here’s the thing:

• She helped onboard multiple teams.

• Fixed dozens of Figma inconsistencies.

• Prevented regressions in design QA.

That’s impact. That’s leadership.

What makes a great design system leader?

Not job title. Not tenure. Not slide decks.

• It’s listening.

• It’s clarity.

• It’s care.

• It’s courage to speak up when something’s not right.

When you’re working on a design system, you’re not just pushing pixels or fixing tokens. You’re modeling the kind of design culture your org will inherit.

Every component you refine, every guideline you clarify, every tough “no” you stand by… those choices ripple outward. They shape how teams design, how they collaborate, and how they scale.

That’s why system work is leadership work.

So the next time you’re knee-deep in Figma clean-up or debating a naming convention, remember: you’re not just tidying up. You’re leading: quietly, visibly, and at scale.