7 Tips for Being a Good Creative Leader

 

1. Moving up: Nothing is beneath you. EVER. 

 I’ve seen many people in 12 years of my career think they are above certain tasks. Well, guess what? These people don’t get promoted fast. Why? Cause they’re. Just. Annoying. Do not underestimate the power of being a good friend at work and someone you can count on. No one likes a person with ego.

You know when that project manager comes and asks you for a favor at 6 p.m. and needs it done by the next day? And, granted, it’s totally his fuck up? Well, if it’s exceptional and you have no plans, help him out. When you do, he’s probably going to spread the word that you saved his life and you’re awesome. And chances are, one day this junior project manager will become a VP, and he’ll remember you helped him out.

2. Getting promoted: Make your boss’s life easy.

Sometimes you can feel entitled to certain things. The difference between entitlement and empowerment can be tricky; just know that it can be annoying on the receiving end if you’re not using the right language. So, watch with the attitude. If you don’t get along with your boss, you can say goodbye to your promotion. And chances are, you’re really not meant for each other anyway. So leave. And you’ll be happier. Win-win!

3. Congrats, you’re there: Be the leader you would have wanted to have.

You often wonder, “What’s a good creative director?” Just remember what qualities made you grow under your the bosses you admire: channel those qualities and make them your own. I feel incredibly appreciated by people I have managed, and I can say all the things they like about me come from someone else who taught me that skill, on top of which I add my own sauce to it. I don’t take credit for everything! I was fortunate to be around awesome people whose tips I absorbed.
For example, I know I liked really thorough briefs as a creative, with lots of inspiration. I loved it when a creative director would set the bar high with some examples from the get-go. It made me aim even higher. That’s something I always do now. Find your own thing that drove you.

4. You don’t need to be an asshole to be a boss.

There’s a popular misconception that successful bosses often need to be assholes, and that type of authority makes them more effective. Think Steve Jobs or Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, both excellent creative directors portrayed by the media. Well, I think that’s an old-fashioned leadership style that perhaps worked for previous generations, but we’re millennials and, since everyone’s analyzing us as having “no patience and valuing authentic relationships”: fuck those assholes.
I started working when I was 21 as an intern. And at 22, I became an art director. I even had a dude art director assist me on a project (and he was 25). He was respectful of my leadership because I respected him.
I think we tend to ask ourselves “Do I have enough authority?” and “Am I charismatic enough?” but those are not the right questions. The right ones are: “Is it working? Are my creatives happy? Are they getting cool pieces in their books?” That’s all that matters.
When you’re naturally respectful of others, these old-school leadership values become highly suspect.

5. It’s OK to cry.

I’m totally sensitive. If you’re creative and you’re not sensitive, you’re probably not that great at your craft, so this is not a flaw, it’s what pays our bills. It’s like, we worry about a taupe color being too desaturated or too vibrant. OF COURSE WE’RE SENSITIVE.
But sometimes it can fuck with our minds, like, “OMG crying is showing your weakness and it’s not very leader-y!”. Fuck that. We’re all different. When I’m annoyed, I get sleepy. When I’m sad, I laugh. And when I’m angry, I cry. My emotions don’t fit the right place and people misinterpret what they mean. All I’m saying: crying doesn’t mean you’re sad and weak!

6. It’s good to say sorry.

I hate the whole thing about “Stop saying sorry”. OK, of course you shouldn’t say sorry when you want to speak. Just speak in a meeting like you’d speak with your friends. Would you say sorry to your friends in this situation?
I say sorry all the time. Someone bumps into me, and reflexively, I say sorry. It’s like, what if 1 out of 100 times, I’m the one who bumped that person and I don’t say sorry? I don’t have time to get in an argument here. So, sorry, dude. I have no ego, it’s not a big deal to say sorry (in the sense, that you admit you might have done something wrong). But it can go a long way if you’ve ruffled someone’s feathers.
Once, a managing director of an agency said sorry for hiring the wrong person. It was the most amazing thing to witness. He became a way more awesome leader to all of us when he said that.

7. Even if you’re the boss, find the best boss ever.

I compare climbing the ladder like climbing up karate belts. The end is not the black belt; you’ve still got 10 dans to go. There’s always room for progress. I intend to learn until I die.
The mistake is to think that because you reach a certain director level, it’s over, you’re awesome and you need no one. And when you do feel like you need someone, you’re like “Wait, I thought I was an independent woman?! Does this mean I’m weak?!”
A boxing champion always needs a coach. Not having a boss means you will learn at a slower pace than you could if you were exposed to a great mentor. Find an awesome boss/partner/coach and you will win the championships of your life.








SOURCE:www.girlboss.com