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Three Signs of Creative Leadership

Posted by Leslie Ehm September 26th, 2011. No comments yet, leave your own

Most agencies rely on their CD or ECD for ‘creative leadership.” They’re given free rein to infuse the organization with free thinking, inspiration and a sense of the ‘possible’. And, in the best cases, they’re usually considered to be the partner of the company’s business lead. Sure, this works. But as I experience and develop insight into countless agencies (especially smaller ones), I’m finding this to be an increasingly outmoded concept.

I recently had the pleasure of first training and then collaborating with TraffikGroup and their President Mark Ferrier. The man’s a stone cold entrepreneur. But he’s also what I (and he) call a ‘machine gun.” He’s an ideating superpower. He gets concepts in a second, sees flaws (and opportunities) in strategy in about three, and has generated about 10 really smart and / or wacked ideas in as many seconds. But is he the CD? ECD? Nope. He could be. But instead, he’s what most organizations only dream of – a truly creative leader. While I could wax on about the man himself, you’re all better served if I just share with you some of things I’ve witnessed with him and in other great agencies so that you can recognize the signs of this type of leader – and jump on board fast!

1. Knows the power of process. Truly creative leaders understand that structure does not kill creativity – rather it can empower it like crazy. They know that by finding, creating or training on the best processes to harness the entire agency’s potential, they’re building sustainable, reliable and confident teams. When their people have challenges to overcome, they don’t simply rely on a few guys in a dark cupboard. They know how to come together and rock out their ideas and solutions as a cohesive group. And when and if those processes no longer serve – theses leader find, create or train on new ones instead of blaming the team for not delivering.

2. Gets down in the trenches. The most common criticism of agency leaders is that they’ve lost touch with what its like to have deadlines looming and no ideas. As a result, their expectations can get totally out of line with everything from timelines to budget to feasibility. The best leaders regularly get down and dirty with their teams; helping them jam on strategy, big ideas or even on what this year’s charity should be. And when they do this, they actively see what’s working, what’s not, or more importantly WHO is or isn’t working. Not only do they prove their commitment and keep their skills honed, but they get a true read on the creative chemistry of their organization.

3. Recognizes and celebrates your freak factor. It’s one thing to ask for creativity – it’s another thing to manage it. Truly creative leaders seek out fresh, dynamic and usually off kilter people to infuse and infect their organizations with the creative ‘bug’. While they don’t just let you get away with any and everything simply because you’re an asset, they do let you fly your freak flag high and find ways to put those assets into play. They recognize and celebrate your achievements. They give you a ‘place’, a home and they help you to grow and mature with your gifts instead of trying to squeeze you into a box that suits them. And they’re NOT your CD or your ECD – they’re a business mentor, a leader, a beacon and an inspiration – and that makes it even more important.

Three Guaranteed Ways To Kill Creativity in Your Agency (Part 1)

Posted by Leslie Ehm June 22nd, 2011. No comments yet, leave your own

There’s always big talk by agencies about how they want to create a culture of creativity, to innovate, to take ideas to the next level. And yet often everything they do day-to-day actively kills their chances of succeeding. In the June issue of Strategy Mag, Geoff Craig , former Unilever and Maple Leaf Foods exec and newly appointed president of Extreme Group wrote on ‘Learning and Leading Creativity’. He should know. He was every agency’s dream client; enabling award-winning work for Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty among others and winning Marketer of the Year. In his words “The impediments to greater creativity in today’s marketing world can be…the fear of diving into uncertainty without the confidence of an analytically driven pre-determined ROI.” Spoken like a true former marketer and spot on. So why is it we ad people seem to be limited by the same fears our clients are? Aren’t we the ones who are supposed to be breaking out and through for them? Sometimes yes, but often no. Those fears or reactions trickle down into our processes, lack of or choices and are often responsible for killing the very thing we need to succeed – a culture of creativity.

Here’s Three ways you may be inadvertently killing creativity in your agency. Stay tuned – there’ll be more to come!

1.Pretending creativity doesn’t require process. There’s no such thing as creative people. There’s only creative thinking. Sure it comes more naturally for some than for others, but it can be developed in anyone. And the old skool ‘brainstorm’ consisting of the usual suspects barfing up thoughts onto whiteboards is not process, nor is a creative team locking themselves in a room for 3 hours. Sid Parnes and Alex Osborne (the ‘O” in BBDO) figured that out over 55 years ago when they developed their world famous creative problem solving process which spawned the term ‘brainstorm’ and yet we still kid ourselves that stringent, repeatable and proven process isn’t vital to success. Oy vey.

2. Only expecting creativity from Creatives. In this day in age, any Creative who is precious and protective about where great ideas come from deserves a spanking. From a client perspective, they don’t give a toss where the ideas come from. They just know they’re paying for them. So why do we? And why do we allow our Creative people to get territorial – or even encourage it? This internal struggle can kill the very thing we’re trying to create. Those agencies that know how to truly communicate and collaborate across roles are not only more successful, they’re more harmonious because they’ve learned to respect that creativity can and should come from anywhere. See #1 for how to help achieve this.

3. Only rewarding success. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating. Very often the mark of ‘success’ is work that is easily accepted by the client. But the client is usually the last to recognize and accept something new, different or challenging. I’m not sure where the ‘success’ part is in this conundrum. Sounds to me like you’re rewarding mediocrity. I’d rather encourage, celebrate and trumpet the work we’d love a client to buy even when they don’t. Why not develop a policy of bringing in at least one idea (make it your 4^th if the client has that weird ‘3 concept rule’) you think they won’t buy in a million years. Give your creates 3 hours to develop it and don’t charge the client. Then you’ve had the fun of developing it, there are no stakes, it stimulates their thinking and yours, and can become a cache if ideas to revisit when that client or others finally catch up to your thinking. Then do an annual award show of those ideas only. Great way to reward ‘failure’.

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“Leslie is absolutely one of the game-changers. Her expertise and understanding of the creative process is top notch, but the even greater value is in passion and creativity she will ignite in your people and the impact it will have on your organization.” - Mark Ferrier, President, TraffikGroup

"The 2-day session that Leslie delivered to the Pepsico marketing department was one of the best training sessions I've been part of. The content was mind-opening, practical, and useful, and Leslie's ability to engage the crowd was second-to-none. Feedback from the other attendees was off the charts. I would work with Leslie again in a heartbeat.” - Logan Chambers, Marketing Manager – Quaker Bars, Pepsico

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“I don't know how Leslie does it, but I've seen the results. Our people are more confident, better presenters and better at selling the work. I have to admit, like all Creatives, I was skeptical about a presentation training course that would be right for Creatives. But Leslie really gets it.” - Judy John, CEO, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett

"Leslie Ehm is amazing, seriously impactful and a huge asset to anyone who comes into contact with her. We are happy to call her a partner." - John Minty, CFO, Venables Bell & Partners

"Leslie Ehm is the marketing industry's best kept secret. Her enthusiastic, yet powerful approach and unique ability to motivate professionals to understand that the client/agency dynamic is most successful when viewed as a partnership is invaluable to anyone who wants to take their business to the next level. Her highly effective and inspiring workshop will have your entire team ready, and willing, to move mountains." - Nancy Modrcin, Mattel Canada

"It made all the difference for a successful learning event to have Leslie Ehm’s massive enthusiasm combined with her keen and personally relevant insight into our industry." - Karen Tilley, SVP, Dir. Account Management, Leo Burnett

"The only way to describe Leslie is "dynamite!" She gets participants to truly look into their core, push themselves, take risks, and do it all in front of a crowd. And then she leaves them with the sense that "I can do anything!”. People like Leslie are a rare breed." - Trina Boos, founder, Ad Lounge, and President, Boost Agents

"Leslie Ehm doesn’t just ‘get it’ – she’s actually done it. And she brings all of her experience, passion and smart teaching to every workshop. My team didn’t want the sessions to end!" - Ron Tite, Creative Director, Sharpe Blackmore

"Leslie Ehm has been a fantastic addition to our learning and development programming. She has a natural gift of being able to take an accurate pulse of your organization, where it is and where you are trying to take it. Beyond delivering very thoughtful off-the-shelf programs that really get to the heart of key issues, Leslie is consistently insightful and innovative in providing suggestions and solutions for how she can partner on customized programming and follow-up that really can change the game." - Ellen Nearman, Director, Talent, Organic Inc.

"We thought we were pretty good at both the creative process and presenting our ideas. That was until we invited Leslie Ehm into our agency. Her training and approach is being embraced throughout the agency, resulting in even better work. I highly recommend her." - Tony Chapman, CEO, Capital C

"Idea Noise was fantastic and thought provoking." - Joe Rand, Director of Marketing, Disney Cruise Lines

"Stand & Deliver was one of those experiences that make an indelible impact. The skill with which Leslie Ehm addressed each person and created individualized development strategies was impressive. The transformation was evident in the room and in the way we now think and interact as a team." - Larry MacEachern, Sr. VP, Managing Partner, Color

“I was stunned by the amount of learning, value and the effectiveness of Leslie’s training. She is such a pro, personally invested into every conversation: advising, teaching, providing input, making sure it all sinks in. It's intense, powerful, eye-opening and you can expect to apply it to your job the next day.” - Gene Jigota, Owner & Principal Consultant, TSBC Consulting Inc.

"I walked away with a tangible and effective system for idea generation. It's gold - a formula that can transform anyone into an 'idea alchemist'." - Lindsey Leese, Director, Second City

“We used Three Training for a client training program and Leslie Ehm was fantastic. She is knowledgeable, engaging and creative in her approach. Leslie is right - good things do come in Three." - Tom Hendrikson, Chief Breakthrough Officer, Sixsense Inc.

"There is a lot of training out there, but not much that focuses specifically on creative challenges. Leslie Ehm gets it. She speaks from years of experience and can offer valuable relevant feedback. She has helped reignite the team’s creative spark and I look forward to re-engaging her in the future." - Joel Trojanowski, Creative Director, Armstrong Partnership

"Leslie is an inspiring instructor - she puts her head and heart into really understanding what will make the biggest difference with students and then she puts everything she's got into crafting a learning experience that delivers beyond expectations. As program director at ICA I've worked with a lot of instructional consultants, and Leslie is a top professional from start to finish." - Suzanne Filiatrault Director of Professional Development, Institute of Communication Agencies

"Leslie Ehm creates and customizes a training regimen that speaks to every individual involved, and from several different perspectives. In a matter of seconds, she is able to formulate the lay of the land, immediately analyze and identify with the group she is training and deliver exactly the program necessary." - Linda Cunningham, VP, Green Apple Children’s Centre Inc.

"When my creative team was stuck for the next big yummy idea, we went to Leslie and Three Training for ideation facilitation and came away with tons of delicious ones. My only issue is that she still won’t give me a family discount!" - Erica Ehm, CEO, publisher YummyMummyClub.ca

"All too often the feedback after a training session is muted and minimal, but in this case it was energized and uniformly positive! More importantly, our staff have begun using the techniques with great success…I can confidently say that our agency could not have put our training dollars to better use and that we will be working with Leslie Ehm again in the near future." - Jeff Plotnikoff, Director, Human Resources, Armstrong Partnership

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