The ‘X-Factor’ of creative leadership. 5 of 10. Listen intently.

Listening. It’s the most important part of communication — and often vastly underrated in my view. If you listen first, then demonstrate what you've learned through a deep understanding, guess what? You get insight.

A leader that won’t listen isn’t a leader at all, creative or otherwise.

The legendary Rugby Union player and coach, Sir Ian McGeechan, extols the virtues of something called ‘World Class Basics’ as a critical component of elite performance. Things that are easy to do, but equally easy to neglect or think of as unimportant. 

Show up every day. Be on time. Be polite. Do the work. Tidy up after yourself. Don’t be a dickhead.

Stuff like that. I’d definitely file ‘Listen well’ under this category.

Creative leaders are required to shepherd and nurture often challenging characters. In their own teams, other teams they are required to collaborate with and with clients. Listening intently, as well as being the key to insight, is a disarming tactic. 

If you find yourself in a highly-charged situation with others, always listen to every point of view first – and take the time to process what you’ve heard. 

Allowing all protagonists to offer their stance and respecting those positions by paying attention lowers stress levels, brings calm and positions you in the box-seat as mediator. The best and most lasting decisions are always made by cool, calm and collected heads.

In a creative brief situation, get all the viewpoints you can as a priority. Listen to every perspective to get a balanced view and read between the lines of that brief. And don’t just listen to senior people or marketing team members.

Spread your net a little wider, dig a little deeper, listen a little harder and you will unearth magic and inspiration in spades.