agency leadership: a discussion interdirect managers meeting dublin, may 2007
TRANSCRIPT
Agency leadership: a discussion
InterDirect Managers Meeting
Dublin, May 2007
• This is not a lecture on agency management or leadership
• You have all managed your own business successfully for many years
• I’d like to present some thoughts today and get everyone's input
• At the end I will collect comments and pass to Pieter for full distribution.
Today’s discussion
How I prepared:
• Looked at agency leadership from my own perspective
• Considered client, agency staff and supplier implications
• Identified what followers are looking for in a relationship
• Presenting ten core areas that might help stimulate discussion today
Today’s discussion
‘If each of us hires
people smaller than
we are,
we shall
become a
company
of dwarfs.’
Great industry leaders
David Ogilvy
1. Have a deep understanding of our business
2. Create a positive atmosphere
3. Have a clear vision
4. Have courage
5. Market their agency shamelessly
6. Are good listeners
7. Don’t take themselves too seriously
8. Are consistent
9. Are decisive
10.Have a will to succeed
‘If each of us hires
people smaller than
we are,
we shall
become a
company
of dwarfs.’
Great industry leaders
‘If I always appear
prepared,
it is because
before
entering an
undertaking,
I have
meditated
long and
have foreseen
what might occur.’
A deep understanding of our business
Napoleon Bonaparte
• You can't fake it. People will know
• Know your competition
• Set aside time each week to keep abreast of industry at large
• Set a goal to unearth one new initiative for a client leveraging your deep knowledge of your discipline
‘If I always appear
prepared,
it is because
before
entering an
undertaking,
I have
meditated
long and
have foreseen
what might occur.’
A deep understanding of our business
• Be passionate
• Share this passion with your managers - get them hooked on having a position of deep insights that their clients will respect
• Association event networking is a good way to gather local insights
• Annual agency assessment with clients
• Talk to prospects about what they know or don’t know about you
A deep understanding of our business
‘If I always appear
prepared,
it is because
before
entering an
undertaking,
I have
meditated
long and
have foreseen
what might occur.’
‘If you can dream it, you
can do it. Always
remember
that this whole
thing was
started with
a dream
and a
mouse.’
Create a positive atmosphere
Walt Disney
• VP of fun– We live in the fun space of business,
we attract fun people– Try being an accountant in a circus– Laugh a lot, it’s contagious
• Agency leaders make friends easily and like people
• Naturally let others take credit
• Give clients loads of luving
‘If you can dream it, you
can do it. Always
remember
that this whole
thing was
started with
a dream
and a
mouse.’
Create a positive atmosphere
• Spreads energy like a tonic through out the agency
• Lead by example. “Don't ask anybody to do something you wouldn't do yourself’’’
• A climate of fear or competition creates fear and desertion
• Recognise and avoid negative situations
– Closed door meetings
– Don’t ever slag off a client - Ouch
– Reviews on time
– Communicate regularly
Create a positive atmosphere
‘If you can dream it, you
can do it. Always
remember
that this whole
thing was
started with
a dream
and a
mouse.’
‘If men make war
in slavish
obedience
to rules,
they
will
fail.’
Have a clear vision
Ulysses S. Grant
• Dream for a better world
– DM agency
– Integrated agency
– Digital agency
• Anyone can have a vision, very few can lead you there
• Leaders get the balance right in creating and delivering a vision
‘If men make war
in slavish
obedience
to rules,
they
will
fail.’
Have a clear vision
• To lead, you will need to overcome the resistance to change
• If staff have been doing something for a long time then they have an instinctive aversion to implementing new ideas.
• To introduce a new way of doing things you have to have the confidence and belief in the new way
‘If men make war
in slavish
obedience
to rules,
they
will
fail.’
Have a clear vision
Courage to fight
‘Always bear in mind
that your own resolution
to succeed is more
important
than
any one
thing’. Abraham Lincoln
Courage to fight
• Persistence is needed to create any form of world class work today
• Know when it’s right to fight
• Don’t ever fight a client. Get them on your side and win together
• Clients want an agency to stand up to them
‘Always bear in mind
that your own resolution
to succeed is more
important
than
any one
thing’.
• When shit hits the fan don’t duck. Take it on the chin. Be there
• Maintain calm during crisis management– Smile the minute it hits– Team spirit prevails
• When followers are in a corner, great managers will help them find a way out but not get them out of it
‘Always bear in mind
that your own resolution
to succeed is more
important
than
any one
thing’.
Courage to fight
‘The great leaders have always stage-managed their effects.’
Market thyself shamelessly
Charles de Gaulle
• You must believe in your business and what you say
• If you can’t win a new employee how will your win a new piece of business
• Passion
• Deliver one brilliant client experience that the client will forever remember
‘The great leaders have always stage-managed their effects.’
Market thyself shamelessly
• Every meeting with a client, prospect, supplier and member of staff should be considered a WOM opportunity
• Brilliant staff and customer experiences will be talked about for years
• Staff will become proficient
• Clients enjoy it
• If confidence fails - talk to an ad agency colleague!
Market thyself shamelessly
‘The great leaders have always stage-managed their effects.’
‘True genius resides
in the capacity for
evaluation of
uncertain, hazardous,
and conflicting
information.’
Listening v hearing
Winston Churchill
• Email staff regarding something they said. Written communications are so powerful.
• Takes one minute to make someone’s day!
• Takes years to win back one’s respect
‘True genius resides
in the capacity for
evaluation of
uncertain, hazardous,
and conflicting
information.’
Listening v hearing
• A good leader should try to feel part of his team rather than superior
• If you listen to others they appreciate it.
• Often you may find that staff have good ideas that you can incorporate. Even if they have unworkable ideas it is still worth giving the impression you value their opinions even if they are not used
‘True genius resides
in the capacity for
evaluation of
uncertain, hazardous,
and conflicting
information.’
Listening v hearing
‘It's fine to
celebrate success
but
it is more
important
to heed
the lessons
of failure.’
Don’t take yourself too seriously
Bill Gates
• Earn your respect like everyone else
• There is no harm in admitting you are wrong, or making a joke at your own expense.
• If you're not making mistakes, you're not doing your job right.
• Just don’t make a habit of it.
‘It's fine to
celebrate success
but
it is more
important
to heed
the lessons
of failure.’
Don’t take yourself too seriously
• Rather than stressing yourself, stress the impact of finding and delivering solutions
• People will be much more willing to follow a leader who needs their help as much as they need his/hers
• Great agency leaders believe they are average, average leaders believe they are great
Don’t take yourself too seriously
‘It's fine to
celebrate success
but
it is more
important
to heed
the lessons
of failure.’
‘As we express our
gratitude, we must
never forget
that the highest
appreciation is
not to utter
words, but to
live by them.’
Consistency
John F Kennedy
• While keeping things fresh is important in the agency world, leaders cannot change direction too frequently
• You will lose people's confidence• Patterns make life easy for
followers• Zig-zagging can only be tolerated
for so long before they become another agency’s best employee
• Don’t let a bad current mood impact on interaction with staff
• Don’t ever work for free ever• Thank suppliers for great work – no
one else does
‘As we express our
gratitude, we must
never forget
that the highest
appreciation is
not to utter
words, but to
live by them.’
Consistency
‘I am not afraid of an army of
lions
led by a sheep; I am afraid
of an army of
sheep led
by a
lion.’
Decisiveness
Alexander the Great
• While you should listen to others' opinions, the final decision is yours to make.
• Very often Leaders are not decisive.
• Average tenure for a CEO has fallen from more than a decade to three years because people lose confidence in leaders whose indecision results in failure!
‘I am not afraid of an army of
lions
led by a sheep; I am afraid
of an army of
sheep led
by a
lion.’
Decisiveness
• How do you feel when a client is indecisive?
• Leaders talk clearly (don’t have to be public speaker) and can express ideas plainly
Decisiveness
‘I am not afraid of an army of
lions
led by a sheep; I am afraid
of an army of
sheep led
by a
lion.’
‘I had rather be first
in a village than
second at
Rome.’
Will to succeed
Julius Caesar
• Through sheer determination you will generally win
• Not afraid of losing but find it difficult to accept
• Accept losing with dignity
• Accept winning graciously
• Have an unknown energy source
• Carry staff on your coat tails
• Clients appreciate the drive and desire
• Staff can only wish they had it
‘I had rather be first
in a village than
second at
Rome.’
Will to succeed
One word sums up great leadership: RESPECT
If any one of you can tick three boxes, take a bow and dance
One final thought from a real leader:
‘What good is money if it can't inspire terror in your fellow man?’
Montgomery C Burns