There is a fundamental difference between being a manager and being a leader. Although both concepts go hand in hand and may sound the same, we’ve all seen people that are managers, but, not great leaders.

A manager is someone that divvies up projects, assigns them, and tracks them on a calendar up until their completion. While this oversight of day to day work is an important aspect of overseeing a creative group, I contend that you must also be a great leader if you want a team that consistently delivers industry leading content.

What is my definition of a leader? A leader is someone that not only assigns projects, but, can also inspire their team to deliver content that their people are passionate about. A leader is someone that empowers his or her people with the knowledge and tools to utilize their artistic abilities. If a manager is not challenging their team, giving their people ownership and ensuring their team is focused on common goals, then, they’re not leading. Even if all projects are coming in on time and at status quo, that’s still not leading in my opinion, it’s being an effective manager, but , not being a strong leader.

In the broadcast industry, it’s imperative that we be both an effective manager and an inspirational leader. With how many hands, minds, and eyes touch each and every project, creative teams need the type of focus a strong leader brings to the table. In my career, the teams that have been challenged by projects and are aware of common goals, perform better and deliver higher caliber spots. While the teams that are segmented, unaware of where the team is headed, and detached from the creative process, become disenchanted, delivering  what is needed, but, hardly ever go beyond that. Although the team makes deadlines,  the quality of their product is only about average. In our profession, we should never be complacent with average work, with all of the competition trying to take away our viewers, our team has to want to surpass anything else out there.

We must keep our people challenged by offering them opportunities to explore and try different things. We have to respect and utilize each team members ideas, suggestions, and concepts. Some of the most innovative ideas can come from the mist unlikely sources, such as an intern, we can never forget that.

It’s our responsibility as creative leaders to create a road map for where our team needs to go, but, allow the entire team to collaborate and decide how we get there. Every project is completed with the blood, sweat and tears of numerous individuals, not just one single person, which I will explore in greater detail in another post.

Managing the day to day planning and execution of projects is an important aspect of any creative director or art director. Managing should never be sacrificed, but, we must also lead by example, inspiration, and collaboration.