For Nick Lee the Era of ‘Doing What We’re Told’ Is in Its Final Hours
As Hogarth’s newly appointed UK managing director, Nick Lee has transformed the company's relationships with high-profile clients since joining two and a half years ago.
With a strong background in client leadership from his roles at Havas and AMV BBDO, Nick values operational excellence and building motivated teams in a positive work environment. He is driven by making Hogarth a fulfilling place for everyone.
Outside of work, Nick has served as an adviser to the Mayor of London on child health and is a leadership mentor for his alma mater, Durham University. With his strategic vision and passion for creating a thriving work culture, Nick is committed to leading Hogarth to new heights.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Nick> I once made a sign for my primary school summer fayre. I drew around the letter templates for someone else to cut out and stick onto the sign.
It was for the school’s tombola.
The sign said “TOMOLA”.
How this got through QC we’ll never know, but we put it up on our stall and (of course) the headmistress spotted it.
In a rare burst of confidence, I said it was my mistake as I’d clearly not drawn around the right letters and then suggested we could quickly draw around our forgotten B to add to the sign, which we had to cut in half.
There’s a leadership lesson here somewhere…
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?
Nick> In any leadership role you usually have another leader above, who will generally tell you what they think you should do. In truth, it can be hard to lead your way, not theirs.
I actually worked out my style by pushing against the leadership I found the hardest to work under. Authoritarian, aggressive or ‘politically motivated’ leadership is awful, so I leaned away from it. Instead, I learned to favour empowerment, honesty and creating a trust-based working environment. Plus, a healthy dose of ‘don’t take yourself too seriously’.
And to make that stick, I’d say I needed enough success to know that it worked. And most importantly, that it worked for the people working around me. If it gets the best out of others, then it works.
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?
Nick> I was a shy child. Just ask the lad who couldn’t spell ‘tombola’. But I was also a very driven kid. I was brought up by a single parent (my mum), hailing from a farming family in the North East of England. The onus on ‘doing well at school’ was there from an early age.
I think that drove a competitive streak, which has stayed with me ever since.
A combination of theatre, music and performing finally gave me some much-needed confidence, and then at university I found myself naturally becoming president of this and on the executive committee of that.
But I think it all came together in earnest when I started as a graduate at AMV BBDO. That place in its heyday made you feel like you were working for true giants of the industry. Put simply, I fancied having a shot at getting where they were. So, I stepped onto the ladder and looked up.
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?
Nick> It doesn’t come in very handy at Hogarth, but my degree is in biology. It’s interesting that the natural world is full of ‘leadership’, like alpha wolves or matriarchal elephants. Even plants and microorganisms have pioneer species – those who establish an environment for others to thrive. Great leaders do exactly that, right? So, is it a natural skill if it’s present in so many layers of our world?
Absolutely not.
Bad habits get learned very quickly from how you are treated. Anyone can grab the conch and ‘lead’ a group of humans – but as William Golding shows, it’s not always smooth sailing. Plus, managing the gloriously diverse personalities in our industry, and the world, needs real skill. Therefore, whilst you do need some natural disposition towards it, it’s a skill you must constantly guide and nurture.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Nick> Looking upwards, I struggle with leaders who need to make you feel small so they can feel big. We all know this generally comes from insecurity. The problem is that they also need to be right. So, your best bet is to agree with them, make it clear you’re doing what they asked and then give yourself enough space to write down every time they wind you up. Trust me, as a good leader – you’ll want those examples later. (Try to move beyond their sphere of influence as quickly as possible.)
On the other end of it, I care very deeply about doing the ‘right’ thing. But that may not be the most profitable in the short term, or the easy choice. How strong do you hold to your morals? For me, consistency wins – so make the decision you know you should make. Remind yourself of what’s important and argue with yourself if you need to.
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?
Nick> Transparent wins. It always wins. Across our industry, we keep seeing examples where our people feel like they’ve been given a ‘rose-tinted’ version of the truth. Or, that senior decisions are made at direct odds with the opinions of most of the workforce.
That tells us that either our leaders are making tough decisions but aren’t being clear enough with their staff on the ‘why’. Or, that they’re not allowing the workforce to speak up and guide those decisions.
The era of ‘doing what we’re told’ is in its final hours, which can be hard for people who’ve had decades of leading in that way. Instead, as leaders we now have to make people part of something, listen to them and reshape with them. Without a motivated workforce in this industry, you’ve essentially got nothing.
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?
Nick> Ah – I will always take my hat off to Xav Rees, now group CEO at AMV BBDO. I worked for him directly for five years at Havas. He was my line manager but the fact I’m calling him a ‘mentor’ is testament to his leadership skills. I learned more from him than nearly anyone else in my career. Calm, compassionate, personal but with a razor-sharp intellect. He taught me that there’s a way to be great without being the stereotypical ‘ad man’.
On the flip side, I mentor students at my old university. I try to help them navigate their entry into the working world, which is hideously confusing these days. Plus, I have several internal mentees at Hogarth. I’ve also mentored a few clients in my time too, which has always been fascinating.
How? It’s different every time, but I always try to subtly draw out their actual motivations. There’re loads of ways to do that, but one I always like is to get them to ‘write what you’d like someone to say about you at your retirement speech’. That way you know where they actually want to get to.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Nick> I feel like the waters are constantly turbulent these days, in truth, so the fact I’m struggling with this answer might be because it’s basically business as usual… That said, I’ve never agreed with the phrase ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’. I’ve always walked a bit taller and felt more motivated from increasing levels of responsibility. At difficult times, I don’t think that’s any different.
My behaviour may change for sure, perhaps to be even more positive and more visible. In challenging times – I think it’s important to be seen. Be honest. Keep your head up and be willing to change direction if you get it wrong. Good leaders own a reset or a re-think with confidence. Plus, never walk into the office looking stressed – no matter how stressed you feel.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Nick> Other leaders. We are humans so we learn best from humans. I’m sure I’d be better if I read more leadership books – but I love reading fiction, so I find it hard to drag myself away from a compelling plot.
I once trained in improvised comedy at the London Comedy School. One of the things you get taught early on is to be like a magpie – spot the shiny things in a sketch and hold onto them. It’s the same with leadership. See a great leader, watch for the brilliant things they do and keep them.
