Eagles Vs. Seagulls: Why Some Design Leaders Uplift While Others Just Make a Mess.
- Matthew Doty
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
Every design org has dealt with it. You’re deep in the work, navigating ambiguity, aligning across functions, iterating toward something that actually solves user problems...
...And then it happens:
A leader swoops into the room.
They haven’t been tracking the thread.
They don’t ask questions.They just critique, redirect, and vanish.
They’ve made a mess, and now the team’s left with confusion, rework, and a growing pile of design debt.
That, friends, is what’s known as Seagull Management.
“Seagull management is a style of management where a manager only interacts with employees when they perceive a problem, swooping in, squawking and criticizing, and then leaving others to clean up the mess.”— Wikipedia
Sound familiar?
It’s loud. It’s reactive. And in the design world, it’s a momentum killer.
"Seagull" Design Leaders: Chaos in Feathers
Let’s break it down. In the wild, seagulls:
Swoop in unannounced
Flap around making noise
Scavenge without contributing
Leave a mess and move on
In design leadership, the same pattern shows up:
Critiquing without context
Overriding prior decisions
Undermining team autonomy
Leaving teams to clean up without support
These aren’t just bad habits. They reflect a lack of strategic presence. When design leadership operates this way, it erodes trust, demoralizes teams, and bloats timelines.
"Eagle" Design Leaders: High-Altitude with Ground-Level Precision
Now contrast that with eagles. Eagles don’t scavenge. They hunt. They don’t flap for attention. They glide with purpose. They don’t react. They survey the landscape and move with intent.
In design leadership terms, eagle-style behavior looks like this:
Getting oriented before giving input
Asking questions instead of making assumptions
Giving feedback that connects to the why, not just the what
Showing up early and staying involved through delivery
Eagles build trust by offering vision, not volume. They bring altitude, not attitude.
A Quick Comparison
Behavior | Seagull Leader | Eagle Leader |
Engagement timing | Late, reactive | Early, strategic |
Feedback style | Scattered and noisy | Focused and contextual |
Trust in team | Low, needs to control | High, guides and empowers |
Presence after critique | Gone | Invested and available |
Cultural effect | Chaos and second-guessing | Clarity and accountability |
The Not-So-Hidden Cost of Seagull Behavior
Sure, a seagull leader might feel like they’re “just trying to help.” But the impact is often:
Redundant rework due to unaligned input
Undermined morale from shallow feedback
Lost velocity as teams stop trusting the direction
Design debt from short-term, reactionary pivots
Over time, this creates a culture where designers disengage and just wait for the next divebomb.
How to Lead Like an Eagle
If you’re in a design leadership role, especially at the executive or fractional level, here’s how to soar instead of squawk:
Observe Before Advising: Don’t just drop in and react. Take time to understand where the team is, what’s been tried, and what’s on the table.
Ask, Don’t Assume: Instead of “Why isn’t this more polished?” try:“Where are we in the process?”“What insights shaped this direction?”“What tradeoffs were in play?”
Anchor Feedback to Strategy: Make sure your input supports business goals and user outcomes, not just personal preference.
Be There for the Aftermath: Don’t vanish after critique. Offer support. Help remove blockers. Follow through.
Real Design Leadership Requires Altitude
Seagulls are easy to spot. They’re loud, they’re messy, and they rarely make anything better. Eagles are harder to find, but their impact lasts. They elevate the conversation, the team, and the outcomes. Design needs fewer swoop-ins and more stay-throughs. Less squawking. More soaring. Be the eagle. Not the seagull.
Curious what “flying like an eagle” could look like in your design org? Let’s talk about how strategic design leadership can bring altitude, focus, and lift—without the mess.