Hasan A. Syed: 'You're Hired to Make Other People Successful.'

Beyond the engineering of the world's most formidable megastructures lies a quiet, radical philosophy: true leadership demands the absence of ego.

In this episode, Gensler Design Director and Principal Hassan A. Syed deconstructs the human capital driving global architecture. From the aerodynamic innovations of the Shanghai Tower to the intellectual cultivation required to lead world-class creative teams, Syed explores why the built environment is merely a byproduct of a deeper collective mind and why a leader's true legacy is measured by the velocity of their team's success.

Key insights from Hasan A. Syed

Tall buildings should be viewed as vertical communities and vertical cities that extend beyond their physical plot boundaries. Prestige is still very important for some people. However, from our perspective, tall buildings should be viewed as vertical communities and vertical cities that extend beyond their physical plot boundaries and integrate into the broader community. So, yes, we can go that tall. But the real question is: Do we have to? Why do we have to, and what is the ground for us to do so?

The number one aspect of the Shanghai Tower is that it is deeply rooted in the culture of Shanghai. Culture is invisible–it is how people behave, live, and work.

Your eyes have to be trained through your mind. The emphasis must be on training your mind to think creatively and differently. As a creative person, it is vital to reinvent yourself every five, seven, or ten years to stay fresh and young as a designer. You are most creative when you are completely open to everything.

You are most creative when you are completely open to everything.

You create that environment of learning. Where the egos are not critical the ideas are critical.

When I was a junior or mid-level designer, I absolutely hated having someone hover over my head telling me exactly what to do. Instead, you should give designers the freedom to think within certain parameters. This allows them to grow, combining coaching and mentoring to develop future leaders. When you finish a project, you evaluate the mistakes made, build on them, and grow further.

One mentor once told me: 'Look, you are hired to grow other people. Make other people successful.'

When you give opportunities to others and speak on their behalf, it creates a trusting, safe environment. In return, they will put their heart and soul into the work, and their success will ultimately help you grow and make you look good. The whole team will have your back. So, don't just think about yourself; help others grow, and they will help you grow.

In design, the mind always comes first. The craft of learning and drawing comes second. The implementation into the built environment comes third. That is the fundamental process of cultivating the mind, the skills, and the final realization.

I believe future cities will be built entirely around human connectivity and user experience. It will be about how people connect with one another, and how we can design an environment that strikes a fine balance between nature, humanity, and technology.

Timecodes

0:42 – The Practice of Tall Buildings: Lifestyle revolutions vs. precious urban land premiums.

1:31 – "Is there any limit of the height?"

02:07 – Local Specifics for Tall Buildings in Shanghai

3:15 – Concept of the Shanghai Tower: Rooting megastructures in local, invisible culture.

3:57 – Vertical Suburbs: Utilizing 21 internal atriums as regional community gardens.

4:53 – The 120-Degree Twist: Aerodynamic curves that saved $58,000,000 in raw structural costs.

5:41 – The Mind's Eye: Why creative professionals must reinvent themselves every 5–10 years.

6:10 – How to Work with Creative People

8:34 – Lesson from the mentor:"You're hired to grow other people. Make them successful."

9:31 – Hierarchy of Realization: Why the mind always precedes craft and physical implementation.

9:56 – What will the city of the future look like?

10:19 – Advice from Hasan