Advertising Week - The Next Generation of Creative Leadership

My background is in advertising account management. I started as a junior account executive working on accounts such as LG mobile, SanDisk, Foodsaver, New York Organ Donor Network, and Goldman Sachs. Within a year, I was promoted to account executive.

In account management, half my job involved executing my own initiatives. The other half involved managing team projects. Even as a junior, I had a heavy hand in managing projects and managing people, not just myself.

In my current role as a copywriter, I get very few opportunities to manage others. It's understandble, though, because my current job is more about generating and executing ideas.

For most junior- to mid-level creatives, management is not a requirement (unless it's personal management). But here's the interesting thing, once a creative gets to the creative director level, they are required to lead teams.

Thus, there's a conflict. How does a new creative director learn how to effectively manage others when he or she only knows how to manage himself or herself.

That was the topic of the 2013 Advertising Week seminar called "The Next Generation of Creative Leadership."

For an ex-account manager turned creative (like myself), this was such a profound conversation. And I got to hear it from the advertising industry's top creative leaders:

John Norman, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY LA
Paul Venables, Founder & Executive Creative Director, VENABLES BELL + PARTNERS
Rei Inamoto, Chief Creative Officer, AKQA
Ted Royer, Chief Creative Officer, DROGA5
Mark Fitzloff, Global Executive Creative Director, WIEDEN + KENNEDY

These leaders spoke about the struggles of learning how to become a leader. It was inspiring to hear about their challenges. These people were writers and art directors who spent their entire careers mastering their craft. Then, all of the sudden, they were told that they had to help other copywriters and art directors learn to master theirs. 

Personally, I was shocked. In my previous role, I couldn't get ahead if I didn't have the management experience. Then, through this seminar, I learned that some of the best creatives in the industry didn't have to manage anyone in the early years of their careers.

What this seminar aimed to address was that management was valuable even for creative professionals. Why? Because our industry is based on teamwork. In any team, there must be leaders who can guide the team and the work.

Mark Fitzloff said something that stuck in my mind. He mentioned that his agency has established a formal management training program, designed specifically for creative directors.

Wow. They created a system that teaches future creatives leaders how to actually lead. That really gives me hope for the future.

But also, it gives me a personal edge. I started my career having to manage projects. That means that I learned how to motivate others to work. I knew how to keep myself and others looking ahead.

What his seminar taught me was that management, at any level and in any department, was IMPORTANT.

As a young creative, I need to look for ways to manage. It's hard to find, but not impossible. 

I recently attended a TV and photo shoot which needed production assistance. So I took charge and got to be a line producer for a four-day shoot. For creatives, it's really about finding those golden opportunities to show that you're a leader.

It makes our jobs as creatives harder, but it's still an important part of the job. I'm glad this industry is embracing it.