Bossing It: Why Ben Gunn Is Always Learning and Evolving

Ben Gunn is co-founder and chief revenue officer of leading creator economy platform Fabulate. A highly experienced media sales executive, he has held senior sales roles, leading teams across many of Australia's largest media/technology businesses including Nine, Fairfax Media, and Red Planet. 

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Ben> Being a baseball coach when I was a teenager. I would have been 17-years-old and coaching an under 15s side to the championship. Watching the whole team come together over the season and to go on and win the grand final is a key memory that has always stuck with me.

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?

Ben> I like to think you are always learning and evolving. Your personal experience constantly shapes you. I have been fortunate to have a number of incredible leaders who I have worked with over the years who have helped shape the kind of leader I am today. I will often look at how leaders I respect act and behave and then find a way to incorporate that in an authentic way which works for my style.

I recall when I was just starting out in the business world, one of the senior execs in the business I was working in mentoring me and seeing the passion and enthusiasm I had. He told me that this trait is valuable and to ensure I maintain this throughout my career as it will serve me well. Those that know me as a leader will definitely see this in me.

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

Ben> I often find that negative experiences can have the greatest impact. I remember early on in my career working with a manager who really only engaged with me once a week. It was always the same time the sales forecast was due. I remember telling myself at the time that I would never want to be that type of leader who didn’t care about their team.

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?

Ben> Yes, from an early age I liked being able to lead. I was the oldest of all my cousins and so grew up with this responsibility and never shied away from it.

I have always just made sure I leant in to any opportunities that came my way. I have always really enjoyed getting to know the personalities and capabilities of those around me and finding ways to bring that together as a team.

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?

Ben> I think there are some basic human traits that allow many people to have the potential to be a leader. Traits such as being genuine, having a high degree of empathy, knowing how to motivate those around you and being able to acknowledge the strength of others. Now some of this will be part of your personality while other components can be taught or learnt over time through experience and a willingness to want to always improve and be better.

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

Ben> I am someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and honestly cares for all those around me. This means when a tough conversation needs to occur, it can be hard. Through experience though, I have taught myself that what may appear to be a short term difficult conversation can often end up being the best for all parties.

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?

Ben> Not every decision you make as a leader is the right one. Some decisions clearly have more impact than others if you get them wrong. I recall a time when I was starting in a new company and it wasn’t long after starting did I realise that I was not the right fit.

I learnt then, and have read more about this since, that depending on the stage a business is at, the natural way you think and operate will be more valuable. In this case, the business was doing very well and the need for change was far less of a priority. I realised then that I thrive in fast paced environments where technology is constantly changing and the need to stay ahead of this is paramount for success. It is one of the reasons why I love the media industry so much.

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?

Ben> While I have a natural tendency to want to be transparent, in some cases this is not always best. A balance between the two is required to be an effective leader. You want to avoid creating unnecessary angst when all details are not yet available but you want to provide information to the team that allows the team to stay informed and take any necessary action.

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?

Ben> I have been fortunate enough to have many mentors over the years who have taught me a lot. I think an underestimated trait in a leader that I have learnt from mentors over the years is consistency. There is a great series called 'The Bear' that talks about this and a quote I love is, “You can’t operate at a high level without consistency."

Another valuable lesson is to understand that leaders cast a long shadow. Essentially, the way you behave as a leader sets the tone for everyone else.

While I’m currently not formally mentoring, I think as a leader you naturally look for opportunities to help others grow. I often think of a leader I worked with who would talk about the need to synthesise her 20+ years of experience down and get that into the brains of her team. As such, a mentor's role is to often pay attention to what is going on around them, and form a trusting relationship so that when an opportunity comes to offer some guidance, they know it is coming from a place of caring.

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

Ben> If you don’t believe as a leader, nobody else will. While I’m not suggesting you be a Pollyanna, tough times will pass as businesses are often cyclical and so when times are tough, it's important to support the team. If you focus on the process rather than the outcome, you can rest assured that when times pick up you will reap the rewards.

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

Ben> I’m often struck by how much this is a topic, as this is not how I essentially think. Diversity of thinking and having skill sets and capabilities that are broad always add depth and strength to a business. As such, I’ll often very organically end up surrounding myself with diversity.

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?

Ben> Culture I believe again is not something that can be forced and happens across the business. I describe culture as the feeling or sense of belonging you get when in a team. The best culture is when people from across the business at all levels feel like they contribute and add their value that is aligned to how others think and behave.

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

Ben> Always be learning. Listen to podcasts, watch YouTube, study leaders to respect and admire and stay fascinated by humans in general. Humans are absolutely incredible and when they come together as a team and have a purpose they can all align on, truly magic things happen.

I will finish with a Simon Sinek quote I love. “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge."