The Communications Council 2017 Graduate Training Program came to a close in late November, and our talented graduates gathered to celebrate. Chiquita King, managing partner DDB galvanised the group with her unique story and advice, to follow and forge their own paths, borrowing at times from the esteemed Dr Seuss to help convey her points. A copy of his famous book The Places you will Go was gifted to each grad by the DDB heavyweight and we managed to sit down with Chiquita to capture her wisdom and insights too.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” Dr Seuss
1. Be famous for your service orientation.
The more you pay attention to the little things, the more you will never miss the big opportunities. The more faithful and reliable you are in the things you might not think matters, the more those around you see you earning your way to the things that matter most. And people notice. Everything.
So never give up the opportunity to make people understand the depth of your hunger, your eagerness, your ambition and your humility.
2. Be yourself.
Run your own race. Connecting with people authentically and with sincerity is what will pave the way for you to build relationships that set you a part.
There is a great TED talk by Caroline McHugh titled: The art of being yourself. It’s brilliant. She talks about the fact that you need to find the thing that is most unique about you and put that at the service of all your goals. It’s powerful and worth a listen.
3. Surround yourself with the right people.
The people you meet will surprise you. The most intelligent and the most generous of heart and spirit.
And the people who have shaped me, set the bar really high, just when I thought I could reach, they kept raising it and it’s only because they recognised my potential and were determined to make me realise it that I was made to feel I had to keep reaching. And now, I set the bar higher and higher still for myself and for my teams.
Realising potential isn’t easy. So ask yourself if you are willing to go the distance and surround yourself with people that are smarter than you and not only recognise your potential but are determined to make your fulfill it.
4. Above all, believe that what you do has a part in changing the world for the better.
Advertising is not only about mass marketing but more than ever about mass mattering.
That’s because every time people spend money they are casting a vote for the kind of world they want to live in. And so companies have to offer their customers value beyond product and price. They need to solve problems.
And solving problems is what you will be doing day in and day out for the foreseeable future given this is the career you’ve signed up for.
5. Lastly, leadership is not a position. It’s a choice.
So lead from day one. Leaders serve and that’s why you should become famous for your service orientation. Serving others will put you on a trajectory for success and make you a leader with unprecedented influence in the years ahead.