Industry heavyweights Kirsty Muddle and Chris Howatson say the next generation of agency leaders is being held back — not by capability, but by mindset.
Two of the most respected CEOs in Australian advertising say the industry needs to urgently rethink who it backs for leadership, and how.
Speaking ahead of the IPA Business and Agency Leadership course, which they co-chair for Advertising Council Australia, Dentsu Creative ANZ’s Kirsty Muddle and Howatson+Company’s Chris Howatson say too many future leaders are stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and second-guessing, and agencies are poorer for it.
“Some of the best candidates I’ve seen aren’t putting themselves forward,” says Muddle. “They think they’re not ready, but they are. It’s a mindset problem, not a skills gap.”
Howatson agrees, saying the pandemic accelerated people into senior roles without the tools or frameworks to support them. “They’re smart, capable, and leading teams, but they’ve never had proper leadership training.
“We created this course to help them get clarity: who they are as a leader, where they need support, and how to build confidence around that.”
Confidence, the pair argue, is often misunderstood and confused with bravado or extroversion. But true leadership, Muddle says, can come from unexpected places.
“Leadership doesn’t just belong to suits,” she says. “The best CEOs aren’t always the loudest voice in the room. Some of the most effective are what I call quiet revolutionaries. They listen, think deeply, and lead by example.”
That said, leadership is not without pressure.
“As a CEO, your mood is amplified,” says Howatson. “If you’re negative, that spreads. If you’re confident and calm, your team feels safe. You can be vulnerable, but you also have to be decisive and accountable.”
The consequences of not doing so, they say, are huge.
“In times of change, the people who stall or burn out are the ones who don’t have a strategy,” says Muddle. “Tactics are where things go wrong. You have to allow for error in transition, but if you don’t believe in where you’re going, you’ll get chewed up and spat out.”
The three-day IPA course, designed for Client Leads, Managing Partners and equivalents, puts delegates through a structured program covering everything from self-leadership to commercial thinking and stakeholder management, and is capped off with real insights from some of the most experienced in the business.
Crucially, Muddle says, it teaches people to back themselves and advocate for others.
“When someone believes in their own leadership style, they’re far more likely to recognise potential in others. That’s how we build a stronger, more diverse leadership pipeline. But it starts with people putting their hand up.
“Stop waiting to be tapped on the shoulder. If you think you’re ready, you probably are.”
IPA Business & Agency Leadership will be held at QT Sydney from October 19–21 for group account directors, managing partners, and senior agency leads with the ambition to run business units or agencies. Learn more and register here.