Bossing It: Unwavering Optimism with Nick Dodet
Nick was born in Lyon, France. He studied classical music from age 6 to 15 at the Conservatoire, after studying political science at University, he moved to Los Angeles to get a taste of the American Dream.
After working on many feature films, he decided to focus on producing advertising films. In 2000, he co-founded P.I.G. in Los Angeles. In 2005, Nick moved to Shanghai to open P.I.G. China. Over the past 20 years, Nick has produced hundreds of commercials, including some of the biggest films in Chinese advertising history.
When not producing, Nick has been known to skydive, ski, run marathons and triathlons, and occasionally staring at the sunset, pondering how lucky he’s been to live his life…
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Nick> Probably as a kid being the captain of my football team, taking a penalty kick nobody, including myself, wanted to take as the goalie was stopping everything we were hitting towards him! I can’t remember if I scored or not (which means I must have completely flunked it!)
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?
Nick> I’m not sure it’s something you figure out and proactively decide. I think it is a lot more organic than it is engineered. You get inspired by people whom you may unconsciously (or consciously) emulate, and find your own style in the process.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Nick> Having children! Messing up is not an option anymore, but there’s no such thing as a “parents’ manual” to ensure success! It’s an experiment which bears results decades later!
But what a ride…
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?
Nick> As mentioned above, I am not sure it is a proactive decision as much as a natural progression. And leadership is not something you can appropriate (although many people are self-proclaimed “leaders”!). It is also bestowed by others who trust you can help them reaching specific goals. Leadership is judged by others, not by yourself.
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?
Nick> I think the natural part is the ability to take ownership of your action and seek responsibility for them. The rest is really about observing and taking in from other people to develop your own style of leadership. And you’ll find out along the way if your actions inspire others, and if so, you must be doing something right…
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Nick> One of the most dangerous thing in life is complacency. Being in charge of people and/or a business can give a fake sense of power and invincibility, especially when things go well!
I’ve always had partners in all of my ventures, as it allows for different perspectives and approaches to problems which may not always be considered when standing alone. Positive confrontation and being challenged helps you remain alert and relevant.
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?
Nick> Many times. There’s no such thing as a fail-proof type of leadership. By definition, making decisions involves the potential for failure. And that’s OK. I would argue one learns more from failure than from success, as the latter may hide latent issues which may not be obvious but can turn into major problems later on.
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?
Nick> I don’t feel one is exclusive of the other. You can be authentic while still being careful and considered. Authenticity is crucial, but it doesn’t necessarily imply you have to hurt feelings in the name of being “truthful”. There are ways to communicate, which may vary from one situation to another and from person to person, which still allows one to lead, be open and considerate all at the same time.
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?
Nick> I had many. As you evolve through life you go through different stages which open doors to new encounters, new issues, new solutions. I’d say most of my partners, in both business and in life, have mentored me somehow. Alongside other individuals I have met along the way.
I do try to help younger generations as much as I can. I am always open to questions and requests. I think the important thing is to inspire those around you to do what’s right, make tough decisions when needed, and not shy away from problems but rather seek solutions, and if you can do that, you will certainly leave a positive mark on others.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Nick> One of the hardest thing is to face is our limitations. For example, I would be fooling myself to think I have my pulse on the industry when target audiences are at least 20 years younger than me! Rather my role is more about inspiring and instilling confidence into the next generation to feel confident they can come up with solutions relevant to today’s needs.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?
Nick> I may get some heat for saying this, but I have never “prioritised” diversity and inclusion, rather it came naturally. You surround yourself with people you love having around you, whom you respect and who respect you, and the rest should come fairly naturally. I don’t look at someone’s gender, sexual preference or ethnic background but rather his/her ability as a human being and how one can shine on their surroundings.
But having lived in China for the past 20 years, I am in a bit of a different situation than most, as I am part of the minority, coming from a totally different cultural background… It does give a totally different perspective on some things. My team is 100% Chinese (and 80% women!).
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?
Nick> It is everything! As I can not compete with local companies in some very specific Chinese fields, what sets us really apart IS the company culture. How we work as a team, how we try to have a horizontal relationship within the team and with our clients, how we consider people as assets and not commodities.
This is not very natural in this part of the world, where relationships are extremely vertical and everyone works FOR someone, rarely WITH someone. So it took time to instil a company culture based on collaboration, initiative, innovation, and self determination.
We had hybrid working patterns long before the pandemic. As production involves long hours on continuous days, I have always preached taking breaks when not on a project. One of our producer permanently leaves in Taiwan and comes over whenever a project is confirmed. Others work from home if they don’t have meetings. It takes discipline for a team to work in a somewhat scattered way, but we’ve had great results doing it this way. And everyone seems a lot happier working in that manner.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Nick> Unwavering optimism! Today is a brand new day with brand new opportunities!
And a sense of humour. Life's amazing, but none of us will get out of here alive, so let’s not take ourselves too seriously…
