For Christian Hughes Leadership Is a Lifelong Journey
Christian Hughes has co-owned and led creative agency Cutwater since 2011 when he and business partner Chuck McBride took the agency independent from a previous (holding company) owner.
Christian expanded the agency’s capabilities to include media planning and buying, performance marketing, content development, social media strategy and management, and a content production studio. This has attracted top tier clients like Hartz, MoneyGram, Twitter, Georgia Pacific, Google, Russell Stover, Calbee, Unicharm and others.
The full-service agency has also expanded geographically from San Francisco with an office now in New York and a smaller presence in Miami.
Prior to Cutwater, Christian led global accounts at JWT in New York, ran major regional businesses in Asia and worked in creative shops in his native Australia, taking him through the doors of FCB and Leo Burnett. With an array of international experiences, Christian excels in building fully integrated, diverse teams, and launching strong brands – earning him awards for effectiveness and creativity along the way, including multiple Effies. When not working, Christian and his husband are avid boaters who can be found cruising different coastal routes. LBB caught up with Christian to hear more about his journey, and how it shaped him as a leader.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Christian> My first real experience of leadership was in Australia. I was an account director working with a new account executive.
She was smart, diligent, a team player, and an all-around great person, but she was struggling to find passion for advertising and marketing. Over a coffee, I asked if she liked her job or advertising. Almost apologetically, she said no. She was passionate about literature and writing. So I said, ‘Then why don’t you do that?’. This wasn’t a failure – it was a valuable realisation of where her talents and interests truly lay.
We gave her time to find her path, and she went on to build a fantastic career as a literary editor and leader in the publishing world.
I learned that leadership isn’t just about daily performance, but about helping people discover their strengths, even if that leads them elsewhere. We lost contact years ago, but I’ve followed her career and success with joy.
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be or didn’t want to be?
Christian> I can truly say I was shown the way. I’ve been fortunate to have fantastic bosses and mentors who helped guide me, knock off some rough edges, and keep me focused. They gave me room to grow, but also laid down the law when needed. I always knew they had the company’s best interests and mine at heart.
They weren’t perfect (neither am I), but they were honest, smart and caring. I still rely on many of them for advice and support to this day.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Christian> I was working in Asia during a time of explosive industry growth. It wasn’t uncommon for agencies to poach entire teams.
One lunchtime, I noticed my whole team of about 15 still at their desks. They eventually walked into my office together and asked to talk. I stood up, put on my jacket, and said, ‘OK, let's talk. Where are we going? If you’re all leaving, I’m coming too. We’re a team’. I don’t know where that instinct came from, but it broke the tension and opened the door to a genuine conversation.
We addressed the issues, and the team stayed despite a very challenging environment. That experience taught me that being ‘the boss’ is a myth. Great people have options.
My role wasn’t to be the boss telling people what to do, rather to absorb the pressure from above and translate it into a motivating plan for the team. I had to become a coach, not just a good player or team captain. This meant putting the team’s needs before an individual.
LBB> Did you always know you wanted to take on a leadership role?
Christian> Like many, I thought being the boss sounded great – but I had no idea what it really entailed. That clarity came during a tough period in Asia working with a key client.
It took immense effort from the whole team to steady the ship. At times, I wasn’t sure if I or we were up to the challenge.
But we created a plan and saw it through over the course of a year with success. That process built confidence, emotional resilience, and lasting friendships forged in the trenches.
LBB> When it comes to ‘leadership’ as a skill, how much do you think is natural personality vs. learned?
Christian> Look at Tim Cook or Bob Iger; they make being a CEO look easy. Nothing could be further from the truth.
While they’re obviously naturally gifted, they’re also (I suspect) disciplined learners and thinkers. Leadership can be taught and guided by others, but a significant portion is also self-taught through listening, reading, and pushing yourself to grow. It’s a lifelong journey.
LBB> What aspects of leadership do you find most challenging? How do you handle them?
Christian> The hardest part by far is when you’re forced to let great people go due to financial pressures. While it’s sometimes necessary, it’s very difficult. The only solace is that good people usually land on their feet, but this is something that continues to be very difficult.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you failed while in charge? What did you learn from it?
Christian> Absolutely, and it hurts. The only way forward is to own it, learn from it, and share those lessons with your team. We often learn more from failure than from success, and it’s important to model that honesty.
LBB> What’s your approach to openness in leadership?
Christian> Balance is critical. You need to be authentic and honest about the current state and the path forward. But in times of uncertainty, sharing your personal emotional rollercoaster is counterproductive. When you speak, you represent the organisation, not just yourself. Genuine emotion is important, but it must be disciplined. That took me time to learn.
LBB> Did you have a mentor? Do you now mentor others?
Christian> Yes, many – I have been truly blessed. I was young and hot-headed in my 20s. My mentors invested time in me, helped me grow, and gave me tough feedback I needed to hear. I trusted them because I knew they cared, which helped me open up and receive their guidance.
I’ve also mentored many incredibly talented people who have gone on to great success.
Their success is theirs. But if I could help their journey on a few steps up the path, that’s a privilege. Looking back, it’s the people I’ve worked with and friendships made that brought great fulfillment.
LBB> How do you lead through uncertain times?
Christian> You start by understanding the complexity and anticipating headwinds. Then you rally the organisation to co-create a path forward even if it’s unclear and evolving. A learning and optimistic mindset are key. You partially write your own script in life. If you approach things with a pessimistic, doom-munger mindset, you start with the odds against you.
LBB> How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion in your workforce?
Christian> We value shared identity and belonging, but we also prioritise diversity of thought. We’ve built teams with varied perspectives and backgrounds, encouraged open dialogue, and embedded inclusive decision-making into our culture. We aim to reflect the complexity of the world we serve.
LBB> How important is your company culture to success, especially with remote/hybrid work?
Christian> Culture is everything. As Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Remote work makes it harder to foster candor and camaraderie, especially those spontaneous side conversations where great ideas often emerge. Agencies thrive on collaboration and healthy internal debate. It’s tough to replicate that over Zoom or chat.
LBB> What are the most useful resources that have helped you on your leadership journey?
Christian> Without a doubt, the people I’ve worked with, and my ever-trusted kitchen cabinet of advisors.
