# Rethinking Leadership: Mechanical Thinking and Ethical UX New approaches in design leadership and ethical UX discussions. - **Source:** [UX Collective - Medium](https://brifing.si/source/5c6bdc88-e150-4203-af43-069801e37dd9) - **Published:** 2026-08-17 - **Topic:** [Leadership](https://brifing.si/c/leadership) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f8aede41-6231-4316-be09-56e35ea46a42 ## The Problem of Mechanical Thinking Design leadership is suffering from a mechanical thinking approach. There is endless talk about cross-functional alignment, product development, and operations. However, mechanical systems are brittle. They crack when an executive changes strategy, a competitor releases a new AI feature, or a seasoned designer leaves the team. This situation calls for more flexible and adaptive leadership approaches. ## Leadership with Swarms and Flocks Darren Yeo suggests rethinking design leadership with swarms and flocks. This approach supports a more organic and adaptive leadership style compared to mechanical systems. Swarms and flocks can adapt more quickly to changing conditions and offer a more resilient structure. This allows leaders to manage in a more dynamic and flexible manner. ## Judgment as a Bottleneck Takuma Kakehi argues that judgment is a bottleneck. Delays in decision-making processes can hinder project progress. To overcome this bottleneck, leaders need to develop faster and more effective decision-making mechanisms. This is especially critical in the fast-changing tech industry. ## Ethical UX Design Michael Buckley discusses ethical design principles for machines. Ethical UX aims to ensure trust and transparency in human-machine interactions. This requires designers to consider ethical rules when developing products. Ethical design improves user experience while fulfilling societal responsibilities. ## AI and Design Speed AI has accelerated prototype development processes, but user research struggles to keep up. Tools like Optimal allow testing Figma or AI prototypes, live sites, and surveys in a single workflow. This enables designers to validate their products more quickly and effectively. ## The Middle Management Trap Middle management roles make it harder to develop the skills needed to be an effective executive. An effective executive must have skills in developing domain expertise, managing execution processes, and translating these into an organizational culture. These skills become more challenging in middle management. ## The Purpose of Information Architecture The purpose of information architecture is to make systems more legible, thereby increasing user agency. This goes beyond designing website navigation systems. Information architecture makes user interactions with systems more meaningful and effective. ## The Importance of Ethical Design Ethical design plays a critical role in ensuring trust and transparency in human-machine interactions. Designers must consider ethical rules when developing products. This improves user experience while fulfilling societal responsibilities. Ethical design forms the foundation for future technological advancements. ## Sources covering this story - https://uxdesign.cc/rethinking-leadership-judgment-as-bottleneck-ethical-ux-for-machines-5927df9a399e?source=rss----138adf9c44c---4 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._