There is a right way to lead Design Thinking? Yes, if you want to leverage empathy, encourage a diversity of ideas and navigate the ambiguity of big hairy complex problems. Employees who are unfamiliar with design thinking (usually the majority) need the guidance and support of leaders to navigate the unfamiliar landscape and productively channel their reactions to the approach. Our research has identified three categories of practice that executives can use to lead design-thinking projects to success: leveraging empathy, encouraging divergence and navigating ambiguity, and rehearsing new futures.