Bossing It: Why Leadership Isn't About Taking Charge with Josh Harris
Recently awarded Campaign’s ‘Account Person of the Year’, Josh is one of the top account people in the business. Josh has a long history of making highly effective creative work and has worked on some of the world’s biggest brands including British Airways, PlayStation and Amazon.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Josh> My stepdad stepping in to look after me, my brother, and my mum. That was my first proper experience of leadership. I didn’t realise it until a bit later in life, but he taught me that leadership isn’t about taking charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.
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?
Josh> I’m still figuring it out. Good leaders wear many hats. The best leaders know exactly which hat to wear for each situation. I learnt from some brilliant leaders when I was a grad at TBWA. One made a significant impact. Long story short, I once accidentally forwarded a long internal email thread to a client. Within the thread, I may have referred to them as the ‘client from hell’. The client replied almost immediately with just three words. ‘Client from hell?’. When I told my boss, they just looked at me and said “You dickhead. You’re going to have to sort this out”. They didn’t step in or take over. Instead, they then gave me some great guidance that allowed me to repair the relationship myself. That was a good lesson in the type of leader I wanted to be. Someone who helps guide others to their own success. Thankfully, after an apology, a chat, and a lunch (paid for out of my own pocket, of course), the client in question forgave me and our relationship ended up stronger for it.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Josh> Watching my wife adapt to becoming a mum under some brutal circumstances. Her resilience and self-sacrifice while caring for our son was incredible.
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?
Josh> No, I didn’t. I was a bit lost after uni and my cousin ushered me into work experience at TBWA. I fell in love with the place and the culture immediately. Watching the PlayStation team operate, and seeing how each member of the team played a role in influencing or protecting the creative output excited me. I realised how much impact a great account person can have. That was probably the driving force for me, and it took me down a path into leadership positions. That, and the fact TBWA had a free bar every Thursday.
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?
Josh> I think you can’t be a good leader without building strong relationships. Some people do seem to have a raw talent in growing relationships quickly, which may make it an easier journey, but anyone has the potential to become a great leader if they find a style that suits them. It’s hard to ignore the positive impact of being surrounded by brilliant people and learning from them. I’m fortunate enough to work as part of a fabulous leadership team at neverland. We’re an eclectic mix of styles and personalities, each with our own specialisms and capabilities, but Noel, Polly, Amy, Rich, Neil and Tom are all brilliant leaders in their own right. It’s refreshing to be able to learn different skills from each of them and have the freedom to develop our own styles.
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?
Josh> No one is perfect, and we’re all still learning. So, yes, I’ve failed at times. The important thing is how you react. It’s crucial to have an open culture where people feel empowered to speak their minds. It’s certainly something that is really important to me. People aren’t always forthcoming though, so feedback becomes a really valuable tool. Feedback is key to helping us all understand where we are strong and how we could be better. I make a concerted effort to always ask for and provide feedback.
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?
Josh> Honesty is, and always will be, the best policy, but learning how to deliver that honesty is key. The situation I mentioned earlier when I called my client the ‘client from hell’ on an email chain is an example of what happens when you don’t take the time to choose your words carefully. But, even in that situation, after a good chat and a very long, apologetic lunch, our relationship was stronger for it.
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?
Josh> I’ve had many mentors. You never forget the good ones. Whether they’d consider themselves an official mentor to me, I’m not sure, but they’ve all had a significant impact on my career. I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing people and I can see them all still thriving. They don’t all still work in the creative industry. They are now parents, VPs, Heads of, CEOs, MDs, Founders and entrepreneurs. They were all people that took a proactive, hands-on approach to always wanting the best for me, which is something that has stuck with me for the last 16 years. I’m very grateful for the time they gave me (thank you Victoria, Besty, Mannall, Vicky, Francesco, Bassam, Rob, Jack, Matthew, Tim, Priya, Annabel, KZ, Chips, Jamal, Graham, Ida, Toby, Leigh, Rich, Damon, Lori, Michael, Jon and Simon).
LBB> It's been a really challenging year - and that's an understatement. How do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through such difficult waters?
Josh> We can spend as much time with our colleagues and clients as we do our own families. Colleagues and clients become friends, and in the same way friends pull each other through tough times, it’s no different at work. It’s important to keep an eye out for anyone that might be struggling.
LBB> This year has seen the industry confronted with its lack of action/progress on diversity and inclusion. As a leader how have you dealt with this?
Josh> neverland is focussing on a longer-term commitment to DE&I. We are supported and challenged by some of our amazing clients to keep DE&I at the forefront of our agenda (they know who they are, and I am very grateful for their support and continued challenge). Our focus at neverland is on underrepresented groups. We do what we can to drive change by opening new avenues into the creative industry.
Polly Dedman, performance director at neverland, has developed a fantastic initiative to set up the ‘neverland Flying Academy’. We work with partners like 10,000 Black Interns who transform the horizon of young black talent with paid internships. The ‘Flying Academy’ gives brilliant young minds an insight into working at an award-winning independent creative agency. Each internship is bespoke, combining experiences across the agency, alongside drilling into a discipline or two. We hope our interns leave us with the knowledge and confidence to go on and fly high in whatever they decide to do.
Our head of production Amy Coomber, works closely with The London Screen Academy, providing experience, coaching and opportunities for students to develop their knowledge within the production process. Amy also works with a range of casting directors and agencies including industry leaders in disability casting, Zebedee, to ensure we represent a diverse mix of talent, partners, and processes through all neverland productions.
Rich Kennedy, our head of design, and Rob Salvesen our brilliant Kopparberg client, have created a fantastic partnership with Ravensbourne University over the last two years. Together, neverland and Kopparberg provide unique opportunities and support for the students at Ravensbourne. Each year the students get the chance to re-design Kopparberg’s bottles, with the winning designer receiving a paid Design placement at neverland. An amazing, opportunity for the students to enhance their portfolio and hone their craft by working on live briefs.
We hope that, as neverland grows, we can offer more and more of these unique opportunities to future talent.
