One of the keys to leading a successful organization is recruiting and nurturing new leaders within your agency. Finding and cultivating people who could give us “more legs on the stool” became one of the most gratifying achievements for my core group of senior leaders and for me personally.

In the process of recruiting and evaluating new hires, I have always looked for people who demonstrated skill in content development, commitment to work, and ambition to grow, learn and lead. Hearing people talk about their work gives an indication of their critical thinking skills, how they address challenges and how they collaborate with others.

When people talk about their work, you can also get a sense of their ability to influence—influence the work, teams and clients. We can all think of times when we were unable to get something produced for whatever reason. I was always more interested in having candidates talk about the work that did get produced and the impact it had on the client’s brand.

A big part of leading an agency is building a team of capable and influential leaders. I cannot imagine trying to lead my former team without having a strong group of leaders in our creative and client service ranks to make things happen. Our Executive Creative Director even kept a small book on his credenza, visible to all who visited him. The book was called Everyone Leads and it was full of inspirational quotes.

Find your next leaders. Hire them. Encourage them. Let them lead.

Special thanks to Jim Lucas, an active IHAF member who recently retired from his post as VP, General Manager of CheckMark, Creative Resource of Nestlé Purina PetCare. We wish you well as you embark on your next adventure, Jim. Thanks for being a valued contributor to our community!