Bossing It: Nik Selman on Leading with Compassion and Patience

Nik Selman is co-founder of social-first creative agency, Formidable. After spending over a decade at renowned PR agency Freuds, Nik teamed up with fellow co-founder Pete Gibbons to develop a creative agency that blends the mindsets of PR, advertising and entertainment. Thus, Formidable was born, a supergroup of specialists who have created notable work for brands such as Amazon, LEGO, Team GB and David Beckham. 

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Nik> My first experiences of leadership were managing PR teams for large entertainment events. I was quite young when I started taking on big leadership responsibilities and they often involved running teams on the ground that included colleagues from around the agency who were technically more senior than me. These were major, high-profile projects and they were incredibly fun and rewarding, but they involved teamwork at speed and under pressure. It was like a leadership baptism of fire, so I learned many lessons along the way. 

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?

Nik> I’ve always seen qualities in senior leaders that I’ve tried to mimic and mistakes I've tried to avoid repeating. Beyond the more obvious characteristics such as competence and vision, the best leaders have shown compassion and patience towards me, so I’ve tried to improve those qualities in myself over the years.

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

Nik> My biggest lessons have been from the mistakes I’ve made as a leader over the years. In my younger years a very patient line manager once sat me down and told me that I wasn’t “an easy day in the office”. She took the time to tell me how I was being too headstrong, doing good work but alienating those who worked for me. Very few people are that honest and constructive at the same time. So, this was a double lesson: the advice I was being given but also the lesson from her leading by example in that moment. It stuck with me, and the lesson helped me to turn it around at the time. I was able to develop a happier team culture and thereby open new opportunities and take on more responsibility.

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?

Nik> There are clearly natural leaders out there who are born with qualities that can’t be learned but most people can learn to be a good leader if they have the awareness and commitment to work on the areas that don’t come naturally to them. I’ve always known in my gut which areas of leadership I’m naturally good at and which aspects require me to work a bit harder, and it’s also taken a few lightbulb moments over the years to keep me honest and improving. 

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?

Nik> Occasionally you just have to own up and say sorry. When justified, an apology from a senior colleague who has messed up goes a long way. The policy of “never apologise, never explain” won’t give you a thriving, collaborative team in this industry. Your colleagues will relate to you better if you show a little vulnerability. 

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?

Nik> Transparency is very important, but you need to be careful and consider how you communicate transparently. Colleagues appreciate the feeling of knowing what’s going on but if it’s not communicated in the right way then it can have negative side effects such as unsettling them. We were very transparent with the Formidable team about what was going on with the business during the first few weeks of the pandemic in 2020. We communicated carefully the temporary changes we put in place and updated them regularly until we were through it. So, everybody knew what was going on, but they were reassured at the same time.

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

Nik> I’m fortunate in that as a co-founder of Formidable I haven't had to do any of it alone. My business partner Pete has shared equally the responsibility of leading our business through the difficult times. We don’t agree on everything so there’s often a difference of opinion while problem solving, and I think that’s very valuable. Overall, I think our team has been reassured and even galvanised by the knowledge that when the going gets tough we always have a plan.

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

Nik> We recently co-created our values with the entire company, culminating in an offsite with everyone workshopping through what matters to them. The company value “We find strength in our differences” was voted the most popular of all, so this says a lot about how important diversity and inclusion are within the workforce. The improvement we’ve seen in this area over the last few years has given us a stronger, happier team and we’re continuing to prioritise DE&I in our recruitment and culture.

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?

Nik> There’s a culture of mutual support at Formidable that is very rare. Colleagues go out of their way to help each other problem solve regardless of whether it’s a project they’re involved in. We should never underestimate the value that this sort of culture brings to the success of the business. While Pete and I strive to nurture a strong culture it’s as much bottom up as it is top down. Like most agencies we operate a hybrid model, and it feels like we all value the time spent together more than we ever did. For example, everyone gets the opportunity to organise a team social, a committee has undertaken the redecoration of the office, and the co-creation of our company values was the best bonding experience we’ve ever had.