Bossing It: Steven Collings on a Considered Approach to Leadership

Steven Collings is currently the managing director at MOX, a creative practice connecting brands with the voices, stories, and experiences that matter most to their audiences. He was previously client services director at Tommy, and before then lead the US expansion for Cult LDN + NYC.

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Steven> My first experience of leadership came through sport. Playing football and volleyball, large team sports, meant finding the right times to act as a leader and step up to the plate, and also identifying the right times to play a supporting role and help push the team from the sidelines.

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?

Steven> Trial and error. It comes with maturity and experience to truly understand what successful leadership looks like when you are dealing with diverse teams with varying abilities, needs, etc. so the only real way I learned what kind of leader I wanted to be was through "practicing" leadership styles and seeing what both felt most natural for myself, and resonated well with my teams.

And of course, it's always easier to identify what type of leader you don't want to be by reflecting on your own experiences with different leaders.

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

Steven> I believe I would have been in my mid-20s, relatively fresh in my career but just starting to manage small teams of two to three people, and it was the first time very much understanding that every person responds differently to certain leadership styles - there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to leadership. Successfully motivating and inspiring others means doing your best to look at the individual needs of your teams and understanding how you can effectively reach each of them as best as possible.

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?

Steven> I feel thankful that I found my way into leadership roles naturally as a child and young adult, so when I was in university and then ultimately starting my career I did make a conscious effort to hone in on improving and evolving my leadership skills and seeking roles that provided that element of leadership, even if in small ways to start.

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?

Steven> I find this a difficult question to answer - the great debate! I do think for a majority of great leaders, the "skill" comes naturally, and is inherent. For a smaller group of great leaders, it is likely something they had to work for and become comfortable with, not something that came naturally initially.

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

Steven> The most difficult part of leadership is understanding the right times to step in and the right times to step back. A successful team is one that learns, develops, and flourishes under your leadership - and that can only happen with the right understanding of when to watch from a distance, be hands on with support, or takeover.

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?

Steven> I am definitely a strong proponent of considered leadership. Whilst authenticity and transparency are important, the role of a good leader is also to ensure your team is successful and that must be through a considered approach to what information and tools you are offering them.

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

Steven> Communication with your teams is key. Through any difficult moments, a great leader not only provides direction and guidance, but also makes sure that each person feels seen, heard, and valued. Dealing with challenging circumstances is much easier with a team that feels united both through support and through autonomy.

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

Steven> It's so important that the teams we lead are representative of the world we live in. One way I've done this is through recruitment policies, for example ensuring that a percentage of candidates interviewed for open roles are diverse in the areas of sex, race, gender, and/or sexuality.

Similarly, when working on specific briefs or with specific clients, there is always a moment of reflection/assessment to understand if we have the right voices on the work - can we move resource around to bring the right team onto it, or bring on freelancers to ensure we are being authentic and relevant to the ask.

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?

Steven> Company culture is incredibly important to our businesses' success - it is our culture that is reflected through the strategy and creative we develop for brands, and in the way we work with our clients to bring this work to life. Whilst it has been challenging to keep alive with remote working, we ensure that as often as a monthly basis we are assessing the "temperature" of company culture and trailing new processes to improve communication, team bonding, etc.