LEADERSHIP by David Droga
SO LET’S TALK LEADERSHIP.
OR AT LEAST MY IMPRESSION OF WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER.
SO WHAT IS IT?
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
AND WHY SHOULD ANYONE FOLLOW?
PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I’VE LEARNT IS THERE JUST ISN’T A FORMULA FOR IT.
ONE THING I DO KNOW, IS THAT IN TODAY’S WORLD; IT’S ALL ABOUT RESPECT AND NOTHING TO DO WITH FEAR AND INTIMIDATION.
AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT.
ANY ARSE HOLE CAN BE A BOSS; IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT MORE TO BE A LEADER.
IT TAKES COURAGE TO BE REAL AND GENUINE.
IT TAKES COURAGE TO BE YOURSELF AND NOT ACT LIKE A STEREOTYPE OF SOMEONE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE.
BUT THAT’S NOT TO SAY LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS AND HANDHOLDING.
BEING REAL IS ABOUT HONESTY AND LOYALTY.
IT’S ABOUT SAYING WHAT YOU’LL DO, DOING WHAT YOU SAY AND NOT HAVING HIDDEN AGENDAS.
THANKFULLY THE DAYS OF BLATANT OFFICE POLITICS, MIND GAMES, AND SCREAMING TYRANTS ARE OVER.
I NEVER PLANNED OR WANTED TO BE ANYONE’S BOSS.
I JUST LOVE GREAT IDEAS.
AND IF BEING A LEADER MEANS I GET TO ENJOY MORE IDEAS, THEN PERFECT THE REVELATION FOR ME WAS WHEN I DISCOVERED THE IDEAS DIDN’T HAVE TO BE MINE FOR ME TO LOVE THEM.
AS A WRITER I WAS ALWAYS OBSESSED WITH THE IDEAS HAVING TO BE MINE. IT HAD TO COME FROM ME. I HAD TO CRACK IT.
BUT THEN I DISCOVERED I GOT MORE ENJOYMENT OUT OF BUILDING AN AGENCY THAN ANY SINGLE AD.
AND TO DO THAT I SUDDENLY REALISED I HAD TO BE AS INTERESTED AND WORRIED ABOUT MY DEPARTMENTS CAREER AS MUCH AS MY OWN.
YOU HAVE TO ENJOY THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS.
LET PEOPLE KNOW UP FRONT WHAT YOUR EXPECTATIONS ARE OF THEM. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY BE AWARE OF WHAT YOUR TEAMS EXPECTATIONS ARE OF YOU.
WHEN I ARRIVED IN LONDON I KNEW I WAS A FISH OUT OF WATER.
EVERYONE WAS THINKING
“WHO DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS”
A YOUNGISH AUSTRALIAN FROM SINGAPORE IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
THE ONLY THING ON MY SIDE WAS COMPLETE IGNORANCE, NONE OF THE BAGGAGE AND SOMETHING TO PROVE.
SO FROM MY VERY FIRST DAY, I KNEW I HAD TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS FOR YOUR TEAMS TO UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION. BECAUSE ALL THEY WANT TO KNOW IS,
WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT.
WHAT ARE YOUR PRINCIPALS?
AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM
ARE THEIR CAREERS BETTER OFF UNDER ME?
WHICH IS INCREDIBLY REASONABLE.
NOW YOU ALL KNOW, I’M BASICALLY A PRETTY SIMPLE BLOKE. SO THE THINGS I ADHERE TO ARE PRETTY SIMPLE.
I DON’T EXPECT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO WORK FOR ME IF I’M NOT ADDING VALUE TO THEIR WORK. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD AGENCIES THAT RELY ON A FEW STAR TEAMS. IF YOU JUST GIVE ALL THE GOOD BRIEFS TO THE SAME TEAM. WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR THE MORALE OF OTHER TEAMS?
WHEN IT COMES TO AWARDS, I DON’T JUDGE MYSELF ON THE NUMBER OF AWARDS THE AGENCY HAS WON,
I JUDGE MYSELF ON THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT HAVE WON.
WHEN I WAS IN SINGAPORE EVERY TEAM WON A CANNES LION
THAT MADE THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT BIGGER THAN ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL.
IT ALSO CREATES AN EVIRONMENT THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE UP TO.
AND ONCE THAT MOOD IS IN AN AGENCY IT NOT ONLY BECOMES ADDICTIVE IT SNOWBALLS FOR EVERYONE’S BENEFIT.
IN LONDON I DON’T HAVE FAVORITES.
I’D LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE OPPORTUNITY ON THEIR DESK.
IF YOU SHARE THE GLORY BRIEFS AROUND, EVERYONE IS HAPPIER TO SHARE THE PAINFUL ONES AS WELL.
I’VE BEEN IN LONDON FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS NOW AND IN THAT TIME 16 DIFFERENT TEAMS HAVE WON CANNES LIONS.
WHICH ISN’T BAD, HOWEVER THE REALITY IS I STILL HAVE TO DELIVER FOR 15 OTHER TEAMS WHO ARE YET TO WIN A LION.
I DON’T THINK YOU CAN PUSH PEOPLE TO WORK HARD, UNLESS YOU WORK HARD YOURSELF.
I LOVE SLEEP MORE THAN ANYONE I KNOW,
HOWEVER I MAKE A POINT OF BEING FIRST IN EVERY MORNING AND ONE OF THE LAST OUT EVERY DAY.
I KNOW CREATIVITY ISN’T ABOUT THE HOURS YOU PUT IN, BUT YOU CAN’T EXPECT TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE IF YOU DON’T SET AN EXAMPLE.
I DON’T THINK YOU CAN EXPECT PEOPLE TO BE LOYAL UNLESS YOU DISPLAY LOYALTY YOURSELF.
ALWAYS TRY AND WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT INSPIRE YOU.
I WORKED WITH SOME INCREDIBLY TALENTED INDIVIDUALS AND HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED TO HIRE PEOPLE BETTER THAN ME
AND MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE WANT TO WORK IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN TURNING THE OFFICE INTO AN AMUSEMENT ARCADE.
BUT RATHER GIVING PEOPLE THE FREEDOM TO BE THEMSELVES
WHEN THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT YOU NEED TO PERFORM.
BUT WHEN IT’S NOT BUSY, A BIT OF CHAOS, STUPIDITY AND LAZINESS IS FANTASTIC.
LAUGHTER AND UNITY ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT GET YOU THROUGH THE HARD TIMES.
I’M NOT INTERESTED IN POPULARITY BUT IT’S CERTAINLY A BONUS IF YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE YOU LIKE.
AND TO DATE I’VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE WITH THE AGENCIES AND PEOPLE I’VE WORKED WITH.
MANY OF WHOM ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY.
IT VERY EASY TO BE LEADER WHEN THINGS ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY.
A TRUE TEST IS WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE FAN.
ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT LOOK FOR SCAPEGOATS?
WHEN PEOPLE SEE YOU STAND BY YOUR WORD AND KEEP IT TOGETHER AT THE HARDEST TIMES. THAT IS WHEN YOU EARN RESPECT.
IT’S STRANGE HOW SO MANY PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYTHING OR ANYONE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, I’VE NEVER SEEN MYSELF AS A MANAGEMENT TYPE PERSON.
I HAD ADMINISTRATION.
I LOATHE PROCESS
AND DESPISE MEETING.
HOWEVER I DO FEEL CONFIDENT IN TWO THINGS.
MY ETHICS AND MY OPINION.
THAT’S NOT TO SAY I BELIEVE MY OPINION IS ALWAYS RIGHT OR THE ONLY ONE.
HOWEVER, IF I DON’T TRUST MY OWN OPINION WHO ELSE IS GOING TO TRUST IT.
ONE CONFIDENT OPINION IS MORE VALUABLE THAN DOZENS OF “NOT SURE’S”
PEOPLE NEED DECISIVE DECISION-MAKERS.
RIGHT OR WRONG.
BUT AS I SAID, SO LONG AS YOU ARE PREPARED TO SHOULDER THE RAMIFICATIONS OF EVERY DECISION
ANOTHER THING THAT AMAZES ME WITH A LOT OF AGENCIES IS THE LACK OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION.
I MAKE A POINT OF HOLDING WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH EVERYONE.
KEEPING EVERYONE UP TO DATE WITH KEY BUSINESS ISSUES, POTENTIAL INSPIRING AND TRIVIAL AGENCY GOSSIP.
WE ALSO USE IT AS A FORUM TO SHARE ALL THE LATEST CREATIVE WORK.
THIS USUALLY KEEPS THE FLAMES OF INTERNAL COMPETITION BURNING
NOTHING MOTIVATES CREATIVES MORE THAN SOME ELSE IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT DOING GREAT WORK.
I AM A HUGE BELIEVER IN STIRRING UP A COMPETITIVE NATURE WITHIN THE OFFICE.
OBVIOUSLY IN A FRIENDLY WAY, NOT BITCHY.
NOW ALL OF THIS IS PRETTY SIMPLE STUFF.
BUT THAT’S WHAT SO MANY AGENCIES LACK. THE BASICS.
HOWEVER THERE IS ONE OTHER THING MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT’S SOMETHING NO WRITTEN SPEECH CAN CONVEY.
AND YOU CAN’T INHERIT IT WITH A TITLE.
AND THAT IS SINCERITY
ANYONE CAN PREACH THE RIGHT THING.
BUT IT’S ALL-WORTHLESS IF THEY DON’T BELIEVE IT.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING, PEOPLE AROUND YOU KNOW IT.
I’M CERTAINLY NOT THE MOST ARTICULATE PERSON AROUND.
BUT I LIKE TO THINK I’M ONE OF THE MOST PASSIONATE.
WHY.
BECAUSE I TAKE LEADERSHIP PERSONALLY
THANK YOU.
BE GREAT IT’S MORE FUN
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Tony Sarmiento, Raoul Floresca
