Bossing It: Indy Selvarajah on Why "You Can't Always Put a Price on Creativity"

Indy is a chief creative officer who started his career as an artist showing at galleries including The Tate, Serpentine Gallery, Barbican and Whitney Museum of American Art in NY.

He then wrote a TV show for Channel 4, ‘Ain’t it Funny Being Coloured?’ produced by Charlie Brooker, before moving into advertising, where he created the Thierry Henry Sky Sports film which was the most viewed advert in 24 hours in Facebook history—garnering 23 million views. He is now at Ketchum, a PR agency that's scooped four Lions in ’23 and was named one of WARC’s top ten creatively awarded agencies this year.

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?

Indy> All from personal experiences. Being like a sponge and picking up the good, bad and ugly from those around me. Because its real and tangible, and you can immediately see how it impacts an individual or team, in real time. Beats reading a ‘best seller’ book on leadership.

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?

Indy> Not especially. For me it’s always been about the work. Squeezing every last ounce into what it takes to make truly ground-breaking, culture first work that is effective as is beautiful.

Moving into a leadership role simply felt like the natural step. I was already leading teams, driving a philosophy and doing the work.

But I also believe the mindset of not being overly obsessed with title and power serves you well. I have seen leaders who think power and a senior title means you no longer have to be a good manager / leader. And this is where the wheels fall off.

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?

Indy> I think a lot is a natural part of who you are. But there are elements you can learn and pick up along the way if you keep your ears and eyes open. And importantly, take mental notes from those outside of your agency, network, industry. You’ll find brilliant nuggets in the least likely places.

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

Indy> The C in CCO stands for 'Creative'. It’s the only C-suite title that has this. And this is precisely what your role should be. To protect, guide and push the best award-winning creative work. This can be challenging when often you can’t always put a price on creativity. And increasingly the industry is demanding faster, quicker, cheaper, quicker.

So, you have to be able to pivot and bend when it’s required, but also stand your ground and be singular. It’s a massive balancing game.

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?

Indy> Yes. Immediately take accountability.

Learn from it and choose your battles going forward.

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?

Indy> That you have their back and will go to battle for them if they are invested in the process, the work and turn up every day wanting to create the best work.

That’s the deal I always lay on the table for anyone in my team.

And so it’s all about trust on both sides.

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?

Indy> I never had a mentor as such but there are two people in my career who I learnt the most from, such as Keith Khan, a Trinidadian artist who led an arts agency.

I worked under him when I came of out uni for three years. We did gallery shows, large live spectacles and theatre shows, so early on I absorbed many disciplines and art forms. Nothing like learning on the job. And Stefan Ronge, one of the Swedish brothers who were CCO’s of Edelman Deportivo. We shared a very similar mind set and philosophy when I joined, but our ensuing conversations helped me further define what really pointed and singular culture-first earned creative can and should be.

I still mentor creatives through various schemes but my approach is always one of conversation rather than ‘teacher v pupil’. First and foremost you have to be your own person, gut instinct is huge and try to carve out a space that is authentically you.

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

Indy> Try to be as honest and transparent with them as one can be. I have always maintained there is nothing worse in agency life than not having clarity. It’s better knowing a chair is broken before you plant yourself on it.

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

Indy> Massively.

You have to personally work harder by putting in the time to seek out those from the periphery. Yes, people work for an agency, but more over they come to work under you. And if you allow them to be their full self and, ideally, have a shared experience or understanding of some of the barriers and hurdles they may have faced (in work and life) they will almost always flourish. There is a freedom you can create and nurture that doesn’t necessarily exist when they step outside the agency doors.

And proof in the pudding is in 2023 we had one of the most diverse creative departments in the industry. 65% female creatives, and people from backgrounds including Peruvian, Iranian, Polish, Jamaican, Sri Lankan, Brazilian, and Nigerian. Last year we won the most creative awards in the agency’s history. Proving that diversity of thought = diversity of successful work. 

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?

Indy> It’s still important, especially for creatives and even more so those at a junior level. The osmosis that happens when you’re around the chatter is what fuels you. But new working patterns are also beneficial for creatives to have quiet time out to get down and focus.

So actually, one of the benefits of COVID is a new way of working that suits creatives well.

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

Indy> Keeping your eyes and ears open in real life situations. And this can be at any stage of your career.

Taking note of the bad as much as the good, store it away as will be invaluable.