Bossing It: Mastering 'Kind Candour' with Jeanny Ponce

Jeanny Ponce is an accomplished Advertising professional with over fifteen years of experience in the field. Throughout her career, Jeanny has worked with different agencies like Starcom and Carat in various industries, including CPG, beauty, and finance. Throughout her career, she has helped build brands and deliver tangible business results. Jeanny is also known for her strong leadership and communication skills, which she leverages to build strong relationships with her clients, team, and colleagues. Currently, Jeanny serves as VP, country manager for VaynerMedia Canada.

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Jeanny> My first experience in leadership at an agency in my home country, Venezuela. This was my very first job in the industry, and one month after I joined, my boss left, and it was just me and two other people at the same level. I had to organise brainstorming sessions, assign tasks, and ensure progress was being made with the account and the day-to-day. This taught me the importance of clear communication, collaboration, and taking initiative, which helped shape my leadership skills in the future.

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?

Jeanny> My journey as a leader has been about growing personally, picking up lessons from people I look up to, and dealing with challenges that pop up. On reflection, collaboration and transparency are super important to me. I always wanted to be the kind of leader who cares and makes sure everyone feels welcomed and can do their best in our team, and not a leader that has unclear vision, practices micromanagement, inflexibility, and has a lack of empathy.

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

Jeanny> Facing failures and taking responsibility: it is not easy. When things don't go as planned, I learned how important it is to make decisions, take ownership, and learn from my mistakes. Being humble and adaptable was key for keeping the team motivated and supported during tough times.

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 realizing that you had it in you?

Jeanny> I never really thought about being a leader until I had my first serious job in the industry. That experience of not having someone to guide me was really challenging, but I realised that taking initiative helped me to go through it. That was a tipping point. I recognised my potential to lead, and knew I had much to learn. To enhance my skills, I attended leadership seminars and training, read books about it, and actively sought projects that allowed me to hone my leadership abilities.

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?

Jeanny> I believe that leadership is a little mix of what comes naturally and what you learn. Some people have charisma, confidence, and the ability to inspire others – it's just who they are. But honestly, these traits alone might not suffice for effective leadership. Learning to communicate clearly, adapt to different situations, and handle conflicts are skills that can be taught and developed over time. For example, I've seen colleagues who were initially reserved, but through training and practice, they became excellent leaders by honing their communication and decision-making skills.

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

Jeanny> Personally, I think mastering kind candour (a Gary Vaynerchuk term for being honest and kind).It doesn’t come naturally to me and it’s something I’m still working to improve. For example, finding the right balance between being kind while also speaking with candour in performance reviews has helped my team to really grow. Being too kind does not help them understand their areas of opportunities, and having too much candour can be too aggressive. When I need to make tough decisions, I focus on finding the right balance between kind candour, and that helps me navigate the situation much better.

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?

Jeanny> I’ve failed many times, but I think what helps me navigate the situation is to look back and understand where I made the mistake, learn from it, own it, and move on. An example is a time I didn’t communicate goals and expectations effectively to my team on a specific project, and that had a domino effect resulting in confusion, misinformation, and a lack of direction. I needed to be humble, recognise my mistake, and course correct.

LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?

Jeanny> I think it depends on the situation, both transparency and careful consideration have their merits in my book. I’m usually very transparent and honest with my team as they know I work hard for them, however, sometimes I need to take my time to carefully communicate a situation and make sure what I’m telling the team is accurate and well-structured.

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?

Jeanny> At the beginning of my career, I did not have a mentor, just a few amazing bosses that guided and inspired me to be the leader I am today. However, when I joined VaynerMedia, more than five years ago, I got Tzeitel Haviland who became not only my boss, but my mentor. She taught me values like transparent communication and how important active listening and empathy are. I always feel supported and valued when working with her.

We also have a program at VaynerMedia called the ‘Championship Program,’ which is a strong mentorship program where they pair you with leaders in the organisation to help support the growth and development of our diverse community. I was paired with Alan Harker, our global CFO. When I first learned that I got paired with him, I don’t know why I got very nervous, but it was one of the best and most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my career. From Alan I learned influential leadership. Every time we met, I felt inspired and motivated, I was able to understand how he leads by example and rally around goals that helped me to become a better leader.

Similarly as part of that Championship Program, I got to ‘champion’ Kayla Danique from our London office. We had regular check-ins and together, we worked through her career goals. She’s a lovely professional that has grown in our organization, and I feel so proud to witness her journey.

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

Jeanny> It can be demanding; however, it involves maintaining composure, transparent communication, active listening, setting an example, providing support, and celebrating progress, among other things. I see it as a growth opportunity for me and my team.

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

Jeanny> We work hard to expand our diversity, equity and inclusion, and accessibility efforts across our global VaynerX company, with the mission of creating a more diverse and inclusive culture no matter what office or entity we sit within. We do this by adopting unbiased hiring, offering education and training, incorporating inclusive policies, fostering open communication, supporting employee resource groups, and maintaining accountability.

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?

Jeanny> Our company's culture is crucial for our business success. It affects employee engagement, talent attraction and retention, innovation, teamwork, ethics, performance, well-being, and long-term sustainability. We foster a culture of empathy, which is a fundamental factor that influences every aspect of VaynerMedia.

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

Jeanny> A good starting point is reading any of Gary Vaynerchuk’s books, particularly ‘Twelve and a Half,’ about the 12 essential emotional skills that are integral to his success and provide leaders with critical tools to acquire and develop these traits.