Being authentic, and having the skills to get those in your team to bring their whole selves to work, are the hallmarks of a good leader according to Will Koukouras, national director of sport and entertainment at Publicis Groupe.
“To do that, you really need to open up. As a leader, you need to model the behaviour that you want to see from others, and I think if you do that, that’s a pretty good start.”
Speaking to News Corp Australia’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein, Koukouras added that the way to go about modelling this behaviour is not necessarily big sweeping gestures, but rather small things day to day.
“You watch your team start to mirror that and start to feel a bit more confident. I think that’s what generates trust and respect – two really important pillars of leadership.”
Koukouras also spoke about the challenges of walking into an environment where “everyone’s so driven by the work and by the outcomes that they forget about the human side and their connection.”
“When that happens and your leader is not leaning in, not asking you questions, not getting to know you, I think that’s where the mask goes up and you’re in defence mode,” Koukouras said.
It’s a major pitfall that can happen as early as the interview, with Koukouras adding: “That’s another time when people get it wrong.”
“They go to an interview and it’s work, work, work – here are all my achievements. You realise as you get older, that’s only a small piece of what the business is looking for.”
Speaking with Mediaweek after the vodcast recording, Koukouras said he was only too happy to jump behind the mic as part of the series with The Marketing Academy participants as a means of “paying it forward.”
“Part of the core of The Marketing Academy is to pay it forward, its success depends on it in a way. I really wanted to help spread the word.
“The other part was that one of the things I focused on last year was addressing my confidence, and the voice inside my head that says that no one wants to hear what I’ve got to say. Part of this is tackling challenges head on, and putting myself out there – I haven’t done this kind of stuff before.”
Koukouras said he hopes the episode boosts the confidence of both leaders and the people they’re leading.
“I hope people are more confident. I hope leaders become more confident to share who they are, and equally, the people that work for leaders to equally be comfortable or vulnerable enough to share their stories. It only works if it’s a two-way sharing exercise.”
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Top Image: Will Koukouras