Inspired by Disney's Imagineers, LEDstudio's Instructional Design leadership team transformed a year of change into a dynamic showcase of creativity and collaboration. By navigating shifting roles and evolving priorities, they redefined leadership, fostered a resilient team culture, and proved that innovative strategies can spark lasting impact.

In higher education, change is constant, but sometimes, it arrives all at once. For LEDstudio’s Instructional Design leadership team at Virginia Commonwealth University, a year of unprecedented transformation demanded more than adaptation, it called for imagination. Faced with new roles, growing responsibilities, and a department amid leadership changes, the team leaned into the spirit of Disney’s Imagineers to bring their bold ideas to life. This session will explore how Cairo, Rebecca, and Sydney embraced their sudden leadership transition and turned a year of upheaval into a model of innovation, resilience, and collaborative success. Their leadership journey offers practical strategies and inspiration for Instructional Design leaders across higher education navigating change, growing their teams, or redefining what leadership looks like in academic environments. 

The shift began with Cairo, formerly an Instructional Design Lead, being tapped to step into the role of Instructional Design Manager. At the same time, two highly respected Instructional Designers on the team, Rebecca and Sydney, were elevated to the new Team Lead positions. With no ramp-up period and little time to reflect, the three quickly found themselves steering a team in transition while simultaneously adjusting to their evolving roles. What could have been a destabilizing moment became a turning point. Rather than seeing these promotions as individual achievements, the trio treated them as an opportunity to rebuild their team’s structure from the ground up. They redefined expectations, clarified responsibilities, and worked together to model shared leadership built on trust, transparency, and empowerment. 

Understanding that clarity and communication were key to navigating the increased complexity of their roles, the leadership team prioritized building systems that would support their new responsibilities. They turned to familiar tools–Slack, Google Suite, and SmartSheets–to build a more collaborative transparent workflow. The result was a robust suite of dashboards, project schedules, and timelines that gave team members real-time visibility into ongoing work and future priorities. This visibility didn’t just improve efficiency; it empowered team members to take ownership of their work, reduced redundancy, and opened the door for more proactive planning and cross-collaboration. It also made the department more agile, allowing them to shift priorities quickly and efficiently in response to faculty, department, and institutional needs.

As their leadership model stabilized, so did their scope. No longer focused solely on asynchronous online course developments, the LEDstudio team began fielding requests from across campus. Faculty needed help with hybrid course designs, departments asked for custom workshops, and university leadership looked to the team for support on strategic initiatives. What followed was a period of intense growth. The team began supporting a wider array of course modalities, delivering instructional workshops, leading faculty development sessions, and managing high-level projects that shaped the university’s digital learning strategy. While this expansion stretched their bandwidth, it also highlighted their potential and reinforced the value of their newly built systems and leadership approach. 

To manage the increasing workload without sacrificing quality or morale, the leadership team implemented intentional planning practices. They tracked bandwidth using shared tools, created intake forms to prioritize and filter incoming projects and set clear expectations with stakeholders about timelines and capacity. But they also did something just as important: they centered the human experience. In a department experiencing turnover, a rebrand, and mounting pressure from above, the leadership team served as a stabilizing presence. They maintained open lines of communication with their team, created space for honest conversations, and modeled vulnerability and calm under pressure. Rather than leading with authority, they led with empathy, ensuring their colleagues felt seen, supported, and empowered during moments of uncertainty. This people-first approach built trust, boosted morale, and created a culture where collaboration wasn’t just encouraged, but was the default. Team members knew their voices mattered and that leadership had their backs, even when navigating tough conversations or difficult workloads. That trust became the foundation for continued success, even as new challenges emerged. 

This leadership journey didn’t just benefit their team. It sent ripples across the institution. As the LEDstudio team became more visible and effective, faculty engagement with instructional design services increased. Departmental leaders sought their input earlier in project planning and university stakeholders recognized the value of intentional, strategic leadership in instructional design. LEDstudio began to be viewed not just as a supporting unit, but as a key partner in driving teaching and learning excellence. The leadership trio also brought new voices to the table, advocating for their team in decision-making spaces where Instructional Designers had not previously been represented. Their work influenced larger conversations within the department about workload equity, faculty development, and resource allocation. By investing in collaborative leadership, building systems with people in mind, and empowering your team to lead from where they are, emerging leaders can learn how to create a team culture of care and success. 

Throughout this transformative year, the LEDstudio leadership team learned that thriving during change doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from having the right mindset. They embraced experimentation, encouraged feedback, and continuously iterated on their processes. They learned the importance of protecting team culture, especially in times of uncertainty. And they saw firsthand how leadership grounded in imagination, empathy, and intentionality can spark innovation in even the most challenging conditions. Their story is one of resilience and possibility. For other instructional design leaders in higher ed, their experience offers a roadmap for navigating transition with purpose. Whether stepping into new roles, expanding service offerings, or rethinking how their teams work, participants will walk away from this session with actionable strategies, real-world examples, and renewed confidence in their own leadership journey.

Cairo Jones

N/a at Virginia Commonwealth University

Cairo Jones is an instructional designer who is passionate about helping educators bring creativity to their online courses. While implementing best practices into the course design, Cairo strives to support faculty as they develop their teaching strategies while also creating unique learning communities. Prior to joining the Alt Lab, Cairo worked with VCU’s Online MBA program to develop courses and assist professors with the design and delivery of course material. Cairo received his BA in History from Virginia State University and loves learning about Virginia’s rich past. Outside of work, Cairo loves to discover new restaurants, spend time with family and go on new adventures with his four-legged pal, Murphy.

Rebecca Stooks

Instructional Designer at Virginia Commonwealth University

I am an instructional designer with Virginia Commonwealth University. Our team at VCU Online helps faculty conceptualize, develop, and build online courses in Canvas. Prior to working for VCU, I was a high school teacher for 10 years.

Sydney Wilk

Instructional Designer at Virginia Commonwealth University

Instructional Designer and College Instructor