I was once told, “You’re such a cheerleader.” It wasn’t meant as a compliment, but rather a suggestion that I might be soft on my team. My response was simply, “Yes, I am a cheerleader.”

The zeitgeist of the last twenty years of eCommerce creative production has been shaped by misinformation and insecurity, using fear as a tool to push teams to grow into something better.

Inclusivity and meritocracy in content creation should be part of great leadership these days. It’s about fostering an inclusive, respectful, supportive environment. The misconception you can’t lead a team with kindness and still get the best out of them is utter baloney. Lead with care and intent, invest in each individual and your team, and results will prove this approach works. Regardless, management always requires extra work outside of the job description. You are part leader, part operational strategist, part repair person, part counselor, part cheerleader. I recall a situation where a wall had been built between our creative and retouch teams. It took 18 months to establish boundaries and respect for timelines and guidelines through an understanding of what each team needed. That led to the beginnings of trust.

Building strong morale and trust should be the norm, with team members empowered to achieve their best results, from the department leader to a third assistant, from the top to the bottom of the call sheet. It’s not about the org chart establishing departmental hierarchy. It’s about roles that simply hold different responsibilities, yet shared goals. If the retouching team needs certain file specifications, the photo studio should be cognizant of these requirements and deliver these specs consistently. Conduct yourself in this considerate way and you gain the respect and understanding from your team about business directives, team objectives, and department goals.

So, how does this approach work? I’ve seen teams respond during moments where it’s necessary that everyone steps up and delivers, especially when you hire the right professionals and build this type of collaborative, supportive team. When hard conversations are necessary, they become less complicated. How? Because you’ve done everything in your power to assist your team. Therefore, if a teammate isn’t meeting the responsibilities of their job, the conversation can be directed to their performance and/or a life issue that may be affecting their work.

What helps you determine the type of creative people to hire? Outside of their portfolio and career qualifications specific to each role, I look for those who bring a great attitude, have impeccable character, work hard, and are reliable and resilient. Paying attention to details is also critical, and if I see, for example, a retoucher delivering extremely consistent files, I know they have these qualities. Attributes like these allow people to pick up skills quickly, become easy to train, contribute to a positive environment, help others, and thrive in the long term. I pass on those who lack integrity, can’t take feedback, don’t collaborate, and think they know it all. 

Another part of leading is to know your team’s work intimately. It’s surprising to have to state this, but I’ve seen department leaders directing roles they’ve never performed, managed, or worse, even understood. How can you understand how long it may take to retouch a file, tailor a suit, or ingest a hundred pieces of product if you don’t have an idea of the work itself? Many have even acted as if they can learn these skills and talents in a meeting or two. You should be a subject matter expert, understanding details of each individual’s defined role and responsibilities, timelines, challenges, needs, and efforts. Acknowledge their potential limitations based on lack of equipment, training, time, or budget. Mentor teammates but also be willing to learn from your team. If you don’t have specific experience, recognize that you have a professional in that position and consider their thoughts.

Finally, handle the operational responsibilities of your leadership role. Oversee your department projects, deadlines, budgets, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). The more aware you are of your team’s efforts, milestones, and goals, the better reputation your team has within the company. Include senior leadership, providing regular project updates and proactively flagging issues or goal-blockers. This can lead to better support, improved work environments, longevity, and upward mobility for teammates.

Creative work should be fun. We shouldn’t take everything so seriously. I once had the head merchant of a brand say to me, “We aren’t saving lives, we are selling suits.” However, another misconception about this attitude is that we aren’t dedicated to our work. Not true. When most of us got into creative jobs, we did because we loved the work. As long as we handle our responsibilities regarding budgets, deadlines, requests, priorities, and goals, creating an energetic atmosphere with this type of philosophy can lead to higher productivity, better quality, a stronger work environment, and overall results. Don’t believe me? Just look at my track record.