At dentsu QLD, vulnerability isn’t just welcomed – it’s fundamental.
For general manager Emily Cook, leading with openness isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a business imperative. As she puts it, creating meaningful culture starts with leaders showing up as their full selves, and giving others permission to do the same.
It’s been 12 months since Cook won the Culture category in Mediaweek’s Next of The Best awards, and with this year’s event just around the corner, we sat down with Cook, to find out how she views herself as a culture leader.
Listen to Emily chat to Mediaweek’s Natasha Lee here:
‘Fluffy engagement metric’
“I was privileged to win the Culture category at Next of the Best last year, and I have to say it was an excellent night. I had an awesome time , it was also just a really nice night to connect across the industry.
“What I loved most was that everyone had the opportunity to be heard, to give a speech, and to thank the people who support them. Because let’s be real, most of us are a product of the people and environment around us.
“If someone has tapped you on the shoulder and said, “You should enter,” that means they see you. So own it. You’ve got a story worth sharing.”
For Cook the culture award was important as she is always quick to challenge the idea that culture is soft or secondary in agency life.
“For me, and I think it can be perceived as this fluffy engagement metric, but for me it powers everything and it’s at the heart of what we do,” she says.
“We talk about connecting and engaging our people first and foremost. What that does is it drives business results for our partners, whether that’s client or media, and then really translates in how we can support and engage the industry as well.”
She sees culture as a “lynchpin” to agency growth, where psychological safety, trust and connection fuel performance and create stronger outcomes for clients and teams alike.
Chris Ernst and Emily Cook
Leading from the front – no filter
Cook believes vulnerability has to start at the top. That’s why she openly shares her own personal story, including her experiences with sobriety, embryo freezing, and mental health support.
“You can’t expect that of your people and then not show up as who you are,” she says. “You want to normalise those conversations… how am I going to really drive authentic conversations with my people if I’m not being me and opening up a pathway for conversation as well?”
She adds that understanding lived experience is key to building trust: “That may mean how I receive feedback, how I lead my team, how I’d like to engage and connect, how I want to have time to myself. All of these things are really important to know in my professional life, and they help shape those individuals I work with too.”
Enter now: You can enter Next of the Best Awards here
Connection creates resilience
Cook sees firsthand the power of teams that truly understand each other – not just professionally, but personally. At dentsu Qld, her 73-person team shows up with empathy, and supports each other through the highs and lows.
“The power of just giving so much to each other, understanding that, knowing what those fears are, what potentially could be something that’s really tough that someone has navigated – being really aware of it is so important,” she says.
“We’ll fight day in, day out to support, connect and alleviate any pressure that sits behind that. I think that allows for the connectedness of the agency.”
Purpose sets the tone
dentsu QLD’s people-first approach isn’t accidental, it’s strategic.
Cook credits managing director Chris Ernst with fostering a purpose-led culture, and says her role is about unlocking that purpose for every individual in the business.
“In my role, my focus is really making sure that we can unlock the power of that and really give purpose to our people, and really help set them up for success in their roles as well,” she says.
When purpose and trust align, real conversations happen – about growth, stretch goals and career development. “If I have this intimacy, connection, psychological safety… I’m having really good conversations, meaningful conversations about how I would like to work in this industry and where I want to go.”
dentsu QLD’s managing director Chris Ernst
Creating space
One of the most powerful aspects of Cook’s leadership philosophy is her commitment to making vulnerability safe. That means creating an environment where people feel they can speak up without fear.
“For me, it’s really being able to create the space that you can put your hand up and say, ‘I’m not okay. I’m navigating this in my life and I just want to let you know that’s where I’m at,'” she says.
“Then it’s about saying, ‘Thank you for letting me know. Let’s see what we can do to support and navigate this together.'”
She adds, “It’s not just about manager and direct report – it’s building a connection and understanding of what that is. No matter how senior or junior you are, we are all people first and foremost, and it’s treating everyone as people and having that empathetic nature to what we do.”
Vulnerability as leadership currency
For Cook, vulnerability isn’t weakness – it’s influence. It’s the ability to create trust, deepen relationships and drive performance by leading with humanity.
It’s also what sets people leaders apart in today’s evolving industry landscape: those who can truly connect, empathise, and create space for others are shaping agency culture – and the future of leadership.