Bossing It: Jenni Barry Duke on the Lessons We Learn from Family
Jenni originally worked in the Denver affiliate of ABC Network as production assistant to two live newscasts a day. She returned to Ireland to head up the production department of Saatchi & Saatchi Dublin, producing radio and TV commercials for clients such as Proctor & Gamble, Vodafone, and Norwich Union.
Jenni moved to HAVAS Advertising as head of production producing over 30 TV commercials in her first year for clients such as Magners Cider UK and Bulmer’s Cider ROI, Centra, Erin Foods, and Jacob Biscuits.
Jenni is the co-founder and owner of Rubberduck.
LBB>What was your first experience of leadership?
Jenni> I can’t really remember my first experience of leadership; however I think leadership to me is about how we can influence and inspire people to do things they need to do not only for you in the workplace but for themselves. As a leader you need to know how to get the best out of your colleagues, friends, and your family.
So for me personally, I think my first experience was when I became a mother I wanted my children, to see me, to be inspired by me, so I have always encouraged them to be seen and heard (well maybe not always!) but to believe in themselves so that they can go on and lead others or influence others in a positive way, I want them to have the confidence to make the right decisions for themselves. I would carry the same approach with those I work with.
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?
Jenni> My parents were amazing roles models to me and my sisters. They always encouraged us to be open and true to ourselves. As a result, I hope, the type of leader I have grown to be is approachable, empathetic, authentic, and true, to be able to inspire those around me be it family or the team at work.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Jenni> The biggest lesson I have learnt about myself in leadership, was that to be a leader I need to have that self-belief and the confidence to know, that it is ok to admit to not knowing all the answers to everything. Especially in production it’s all about solving problems together, as a producer or leader it ‘s knowing when to involve your colleagues, because together we can all be part of finding the answers and in turn becomes a very positive experience for everyone.
LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?
Jenni> The short answer is no, however once I got involved on setting up Rubberduck with my business partners, I realised that leading is something I really enjoyed and as the company grew that aspect of my working life grew also.
LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?
Jenni> As I have grown older and maybe slightly wiser, I am able to reflect on my past achievements both personally and professionally and I have realised that leadership is part of my natural personality. Am I a natural born leader possibly, but I have learnt from mentors and my colleagues along the way too. The more you learn. The more you believe. The better leader you become.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Jenni> I do suffer from imposter syndrome, which can be very debilitating, but the best way for me to work through this is to remind myself, I can do this and when you work with such an amazing team, including my sister Helen, who are so supportive, those difficult thoughts are far and few between.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?
Jenni> Yes, I have had plenty of failure in my life, failure is the most important form of learning.
LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?
Jenni> My approach would be to show the people I work with know that I care about them and their opinion. I think by being open and approachable, I am respectful and considerate of those I work with.
LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?
Jenni> As I developed my leadership skills I didn’t have a mentor but drew from the skills of both my grandmother and my parents. I have always admired my grandmother who had huge challenges in her life. She lost her husband in World War 2, and was forced to set up and run her own business. She raised my father and my uncle all on her own as young widow. I admired her hugely,
She was hugely resourceful and I admired how she was so entrepreneurial and self-sufficient.
My parents were also a huge role models and they taught me to be myself and more importantly gave me the space to be myself, to know empathy and to be able to show it to others.
I work alongside my sister Helen, her bright humorous personality inspires me every day as she would say you get more bees with honey.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Jenni> Coming together with my those that I work talking through ideas and solutions, getting advice, dealing with what is in front of me.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?
Jenni> We always hire the right people for the job so that we can learn and develop. As a female leader in Rubberduck I prioritised getting the gender more balanced with Amelie joining our team the end of last year.
LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?
Jenni> Hugely, we work hard at been good to each other and taking care of each other.
In production it is hard to work remotely, as with production things can change very quickly and it can be hard to keep up if you’re not with your team in the same space. However, it is always an option to WFH and we have put measures in place to support this. Especially, for our editors who regularly need head space to get stuck into a large project. We do promote having fun, because it’s a really fun industry and the team at Rubberduck are great fun. I am looking forward to our upcoming axe throwing day out!
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Jenni> Definitely the people I work with.
