FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE:

JOIN THE WAIT LIST FOR MY REVAMPED COURSE, THE DESIGNER’S EDGE

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE ON ANY JOB SITE

WHAT BEHAVIORS DILUTE YOUR AUTHORITY

HOW PREPARATION AND COMMUNICATION BUILD CONFIDENCE

---

Today, we are going to talk about a question I know you’ve silently asked yourself: “Who’s really in charge here?” And more importantly, “How do I stay in charge of the part I am leading without turning every job site project into a tug of war?” 

This is not a conversation about ego or bravado; this is a conversation about clarity and, most importantly, about keeping a project on track even when those roles become blurry. Trust me, they will get blurry. It happens all the time in construction, especially when you’re the only girl on the job site and the only interior designer. 

The most important thing to keep in mind

The most important thing to keep in mind is that construction is a team sport. I talk about being a part of a team all the time. I can’t be more clear on that. But the problem is the players on these teams don’t always know who’s calling the plays. 

Those common titles of architect, electrician, contractor, GC, plumber, and construction manager don’t always define responsibilities, and frankly, personalities fill in the gaps where the contracts and scope of work fall short. But here’s the kicker: sometimes we’re not clear on our role. That uncertainty shows up in subtle ways. It could be when we hesitate to speak up or defer to someone else’s opinion too quickly, or avoid pushing back when something veers off track. If we’re not clear and confident, how can we expect anyone else on the team to understand what we do?

A lot of this stems from insecurity, and I have felt that same way.

This insecurity we feel is insanely common – almost to the point where it’s expected. But it doesn’t serve you and the best news about it is it’s fixable. 

But first, we have to recognize it in ourselves.

Because when we’re uncertain, others will absolutely step in to fill that gap. That is how authority gets misplaced.

What I’m asking you to do is be a leader. 

That can be challenging to define when you’re not a GC or the architect. Being a leader means you don’t wait for people to hand you authority. You need to lead and show people how you will be performing. You claim it, and then you have to consistently be consistent about it. 

What does this mean in practice?

This means showing up prepared, and I don’t mean just with selections, which you need to have, but also with decisions made, spec sheets in hand, understanding exactly how this will all go from your specification to say a light fixture all the way to your client in the end turning on the light switch. 

This also means having answers ready when they come up, not if, but when they come up.  

You also need to take ownership of your part of the process. This can be a challenge. We are all human, and it can be hard to own it if you forget something or make a mistake, but more importantly, to fix it, or flag it, and tell them when it will be fixed. But please know this happens to all of us. There are so many moving parts and pieces on every project and so many curveballs that could never be predicted. 

Owning your responsibility for your part of the process is part of being a leader.You will be respected by owning it, acknowledging it, and then fixing it. 

Communication

Leadership also comes from communication, early and often. It’s not just verbal on site, it’s also in writing so that nothing falls through the cracks.

I can’t say enough times how many details go into one single project. It is easy yet avoidable for things to fall through the cracks. Keeping things in writing and following up is the best defense to staying on track and keeping everything moving forward.

 Anticipate problems before they arise

Make sure selections are still in stock, or make sure your electrical plan matches the custom mirror you’re going to be producing for the powder room. These are the type of details that, unfortunately, absolutely fall through the cracks. And nothing that falls through the cracks doesn’t become apparent at some point.

These projects span weeks, months, and years; it is not uncommon to do something in February, but it only becomes real in June. That’s why you constantly need to be going back, checking your specs, your design, and making sure that as you’re going through the physical process of constructing it that nothing is changing and your design will be implemented exactly as planned. 

What isn’t talked about enough

It is nearly impossible to do anything that I’ve said if you are overwhelmed. There are only so many hours in the day, and there’s only so much bandwidth that each of us has to manage this level of detailed work. 

This goes even if you have three people working for you, and that’s because you are also overseeing their work. 

Or I hear, “I need the income, Renee.” I get that, you want to build momentum. But if you are spread too thin, you will miss things, you will fall behind, and you will become reactive instead of proactive. That is the danger zone. 

The art of leadership is also the art of discernment

This means choosing the right projects at the right time so that you can truly show up for each one. 

We are offering a luxury service; your clients deserve your full attention. Your mental health deserves a calm and systematic project. 

And you know what happens when you choose the right project and the right time? 

Profit.

Ways our leadership is tested

Our leadership is tested on projects, and the goal today is to help you handle them with diplomacy as well as confidence. 

There are endless ways you will be tested, but there definitely tend to fall into categories, and the first one I think is the biggest:

When the contractor answers for you

But it’s not just contractors, it’s also architects. In my experience, they will talk down to you. That’s just where we are in our industry. But there are some out there who really do enjoy and value working with us. They are 100% out there, and I encourage you to work with as many of them as possible because you will also learn from them.

It is not uncommon for the client to want to manage some aspect of their own project. This can be an issue even though it is not always intentional. I find that the client just wants to keep things moving. 

But this is where education matters. You need to set the tone early for the client. They don’t know what they don’t know. If this is the first time they’ve worked with an interior designer that’s helping them with construction, then they definitely don’t know what to expect of you. 

When you realize midway through the project that your leadership role has been completely diluted

You don’t just “Oh well” it, you need to reset it without throwing anyone under the bus. That could be that you put your scope of work in writing again. You pull language from your contract and include it in your next email. You reestablish those boundaries calmly while also using assertive and professional language.

One reminder just isn’t enough. These projects run a long time and you need to show up with this clarity again and again, even if it feels uncomfortable, because that’s what true leadership looks like. 

The foundation for being able to do any of this consistently is confidence. 

You don’t have to know how to frame a wall or pull a wire to lead confidently. You need to know your scope of work. You need to prepare like a professional. You need to speak with clarity, and you need to trust your experience at whatever level that is. Confidence doesn’t come from waiting for you to feel ready; it just comes from doing, being prepared, backing your decision with reasoning, and following through. Most importantly, it comes from showing up over and over again.