Bossing It: Blowing Up Leadership Myths with Crissie Hoskins

With over 20 years in the industry, Crissie is a creative visionary who has the ability to solve our clients’ toughest challenges by coming up with unexpected ideas. A gifted mover-and-shaker, she uses her deep knowledge of art direction and emotional storytelling to inspire work that has been recognised by local, regional, and national publications. Crissie is also a lifestyle photographer and talented illustrator who still enjoys rolling up her sleeves to help shape our clients’ brands to what they are today. Finding inspiration in all things true and beautiful, she expertly balances creativity with business objectives to create fresh, relatable solutions across all mediums. As a lifelong learner, Crissie continues to perfect her craft with obsessive research and practice. She serves as a board member of the Boise Public Library Foundation. Crissie will tell you that she is a terrible golfer, but she is lying. She also serves as our resident baker.

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership? 

Crissie> I didn’t realise it at the time, but I think my peers and I experienced leadership roles long before we knew it. I used to think leadership meant management. That couldn’t be more wrong. Coordinating, art directing, and being the photographer on a two-week production with more than 100 people is definitely a great example of leadership. We listened, directed, and made game-time decisions to keep the production on track — all skills I use today as a manager. My first 'formal' leadership role was earning the privilege of managing someone really incredible and ensuring they had what they needed to feel motivated and successful. 

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? 

Crissie> I’m still working on that. I’m surrounded by a lot of incredible (mostly female) leaders in both my professional and personal life. What fascinates me is watching each of them lead in a way completely unique to them, in drastically different styles, but all leading with empathy and driving great outcomes in team happiness and business success. I used to think I had to talk loud and a lot and be (gasp) bossy to be seen as a female leader. Let’s blow that myth right up. That’s not me. I can now see that I can be a strong and effective leader while remaining authentic to who I am. That’s pretty exciting to navigate. 

LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership? 

Crissie> I make plenty of mistakes as a leader, like distinguishing between kindness and indirectness, balancing defensiveness with advocacy, finding confidence to make quick decisions, being too hands-off on projects that need more oversight, and being too hands-on when the team is overly capable. As I evolve as a leader, I've come to accept that the list of areas for growth will inevitably get longer. I'm learning to embrace these challenges, learn and grow from my mistakes, then move on to the next one. And I’m okay with that. 

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? Not really. 

Crissie> My childhood dream was to be an artist. And to be the head of the PTA and Girl Scout Troop leader. One of them came true, and I’m not sad about leaving the other two in the dust. Leadership wasn’t something on my radar— likely because it was baked into my brain that women “do” the work and stay quiet while the men get to be the boss. It’s heart breaking to reflect on how that capped my perceived potential or held me back. It wasn’t until well into my career, when I was surrounded by female leadership, that I saw what could be. So hell yeah!!! I work tirelessly to ensure my daughters never grow up with that mindset. 

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? 

Crissie> Both. I think everyone has leadership capabilities. For some, it’s just a natural fit. For others, like this gal, it’s absolutely something that needs to be honed. That tiny little confidence mongrel can be quite loud. I’ve come a long way to silence it. 

LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them? 

Crissie> Hard decisions and direct communication are something I constantly work on. I’m a people-pleaser, but I have also learned that I’m doing no favours by not being clear in my communication. I can still be kind, empathetic, and listen, but also make decisions. “Strong back, soft front” is written on a sticky note by my computer serving as a reminder of how to be a strong leader. 

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? 

Crissie> Absolutely. I jumped in on a project that wasn’t where it needed to be and changed the work myself. It felt like the fastest solution. It’s a fast solution to damaging a team. I broke trust, hurt confidence, and ruined the chance to mentor a teammate. Circling back, apologising, listening, and being direct with what had changed, we were able to learn from each other and rebuild trust. 

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? 

Crissie> Yes, and. I absolutely believe in being as open, transparent, and genuine as possible. I could not lead if I couldn’t lead that way. AND, there will be times when information is sensitive or confidential and should be treated as such. Bringing the team along as much as we are able is important to me. 

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? 

Crissie> I always reflect on one leader from my past who had this beautiful gift of making people realise more in themselves than they thought possible. Over and over again. I often think about their 'style' and the time they invested in my work and me as a human, and try to bring as much of that into my role as I can. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have our executive team invest in my leadership development. It’s pretty damn incredible to know they believe in me and my fellow leaders that much. That’s not something you see companies of our size doing that often. With that support, there’s no way I will let them down. 

LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?

Crissie> Talking. Remaining open and honest about the market. Coming up with new ideas together to stay relevant. I also believe in communicating about how each person is so valuable in contributing to the team’s success. Each person can make a big difference. In the end, we just need to talk. If we are doing a good job of that, we shouldn’t have any surprises. 

LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce? 

Crissie> This is something we work very hard to prioritise and something we can ALWAYS do better. I want to ensure everyone feels safe, supported, and heard. Checking in on DEI gut checks within our work. Asking honest questions so I can continue learning. 

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? 

Crissie> Culture is something we’ve worked hard to build over the last five years. It’s something I think we are doing a pretty fabulous job of. We have found a team of people who don’t just care about their craft, they care a massive amount about the humans around them. We’ve implemented some progressive policies like paid parental leave and an 8-week paid sabbatical when you’ve been here 10 years (I cashed that in last summer). Outside of the incredible perks, people just want to be around one another. We only require a couple of days in the office, but most days, it’s hard to find a free conference room. ;) 

LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey? 

Crissie> Having a strong mentor(s) and absolutely the coaching I have received. Having these resources in my corner when I need them has changed the game for me.