The inspiration for this piece came from a conversation with Marlice Johnson, chief brand officer at Stearns Bank. Over lunch, we got to talking about Human Design — a framework that explains how our energy is meant to operate in the world and how we best lead.
When Marlice discovered she was a Manifesting Generator, everything clicked: her ability to work on multiple projects at once, her instinct-driven leadership style and her need to evolve and pivot quickly. What she once viewed as “too much” suddenly became her advantage. “It’s life-changing,” she told me. “It gives me a language for how I’m meant to lead.”
That moment reminded me of something communicators know better than most: You don’t change people by giving them instructions; you change them by helping them understand themselves.
The leadership gap that no one is talking about
Most communications and corporate leaders are running on overdrive: building teams, responding to crises, shaping narratives and riding the wave of organizational change. We have frameworks for everything: storytelling, crisis response, messaging architecture, culture-building.
But we are missing the most personal layer of leadership: how our energy is meant to work.
That’s the impact of Human Design — not as a personality test, but as a blueprint for how we naturally create, collaborate and communicate. While it integrates elements of the I Ching, astrology, chakras and quantum mechanics (which you may view as a bit woo-woo), its power is surprisingly practical: it teaches leaders to move with their strengths rather than against them.
Why it matters for communicators and PR professionals
In Human Design, every person falls into one of five types:
- Generators: Builders who create momentum and thrive when responding (that’s me and my daughter)
- Manifesting Generators: Fast, multi-passionate innovators who need permission to pivot (that’s Marlice!)
- Projectors: Insightful guides who lead best when invited to contribute (my husband)
- Manifestors: Initiators who spark change and need autonomy (my son!)
- Reflectors: Rare talent who mirror organizational health (they represent 1% of the population; case in point: I only know one reflector in my life)
If you’re a leader managing teams or navigating stakeholders, then this matters. Projectors make exceptional strategists when recognized for their strengths; while generators thrive when their work lights them up, not when dictated; and manifestors need freedom and trust, not micromanagement.
The moment we begin to honor these differences, teams communicate better. Meetings run cleaner. Collaboration becomes intuitive instead of draining.
Human Design inside the workplace
In today’s workplace, we often evaluate people by output: tasks, deliverables, performance and now AI impact. Human Design shifts the question from: “How do we maximize productivity?” to “How do we maximize alignment?”
This isn’t conceptual — it’s operational.
A Projector manager waits for the right moment before delivering insights. A Manifesting Generator may need flexibility and ownership to pivot quickly. A Generator thrives when their energy is directed toward what lights them up.
This is how energetic leadership works. It’s not about personality — it’s about design.
The future of leadership will be energetic
As AI reshapes the communications function faster than ever, skills and strategy alone won’t differentiate leaders. Our ability to understand our own energy, and the energy of others, will.
We’ve entered an era where self-awareness is a competitive advantage, emotional intelligence is operational strategy and individuality is our currency.
Human Design gives communications leaders a new compass for navigating all of it.
How to get started
You don’t need to understand every component of Human Design to see the benefits. Instead:
- Start with your Type and Authority. (You can pull your chart for free online.)
- Reflect on where work feels draining versus energizing.
- Experiment with small shifts and notice where ease and momentum show up. For example, as a generator, I’ve learned that I am in flow when I respond versus initiate. And that small shift has been powerful in preserving and sustaining my energy at work and at home.
Human Design isn’t about becoming someone different — it’s about operating from who you already are. And when communicators lead from alignment, teams follow. Because when we honor energy, not just expertise, we don’t just work better — we lead better.
Moon Kim is an award-winning communications leader, brand strategist and executive thought partner, specializing in corporate and employer brand marketing, culture transformation and leadership platform development. She is passionate about the intersection of workplace wellbeing, identity, creativity and human potential. When she’s not leading her team and counseling client partners at M Booth as executive vice president and corporate practice leader, she is on the yoga mat, strolling in Central Park or spending time with her family in Harlem.
Illustration credit: sarostock
