We Are All Human, After All.

I could write pages upon pages of all of the valuable information I learned this past week during my time in Cannes at the Young Account Executive Academy, but there’s one thing that I’d prefer to focus on which really resonated with me. Generosity of spirit.Our Academy Dean, Kevin Allen, reminded us that true leadership is generosity of spirit. When you reach a certain point in your career you become dinner table conversation. People will go home and talk about how you made them feel and it is up to you to control whether or not those conversations are positive or negative. This doesn’t mean that managers should constantly be petting egos and only teaching through positive reinforcement, but rather it’s about forming a relationship beyond client calls, budget conversations and production meetings. It’s about discovering what actually motivates someone and learning their hidden agenda to truly empower them and help them grow. People are much more inclined to do good work for people they care about (obviously this isn’t new information, but it’s shocking how quickly it’s forgotten.)Having this ability will create stronger teams and more powerful work. We can all learn to apply natural gifts for human empathy and therefore have the ability to sense what is in the heart of consumers. When you create a profound human bond you’ll win every time, whether it is in a pitch, a meeting with your creative director or everyday life.It’s a human game and one we shouldn’t forget. After all, we are all human.

My team won! The prize? A Canned Lion, of course

The team giving our final presentation to the Facebook clients.