In advertising, we’re quick to celebrate the bold, the beautiful, and the breakthrough. We applaud the work, and rightly so. But behind every piece of great work is a quiet force driving it forward: account leaders. These are the people who know how to sell a fragile idea without breaking it. When account leadership is reduced to account management, brave ideas rarely make it out alive.
The creative protectors
There’s a lingering myth that account service is a support function. Organised? Sure. Helpful? Absolutely. But transformational? That’s the part too often overlooked.
The truth? The best account leaders are the unseen engine of creative momentum. They don’t just keep projects moving – they’re the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes, protecting ideas from premature death. They reframe. They re-pitch. They recalibrate. A deliberate effort to know the client better than themselves and, most importantly, the business challenges they’re facing. Which means they know how to shape the idea as the obvious solution, no matter how brave. They give creatives the insight to solidify. And they know exactly which battles are worth picking, and which ones will only end in bloodshed.
The invisible work that changes everything
Unlike strategy decks or sizzle reels, the work of great account leaders is often invisible. But it’s there, in the 6pm call that calms a nervous CMO, in the translation of creative ambition into commercial logic, in the intuition of when to push, when to back off, and when to go all in.
Their work is built on emotional intelligence, business acumen and political finesse. They represent the clients’ best interests. They don’t manage process, they manage trust. Trust is a compound interest earned daily, yet misused, broken in seconds. And that trust is what gives creative teams the space to do their best work.
Leadership isn’t a title. It’s an impact
Forget job titles. Leadership in account service isn’t about what’s on your email signature. It starts the moment you begin shaping how work moves through a business and out into the world. The best account leaders spot problems before they become roadblocks. They reverse-engineer solutions. They challenge their teams when the work falls short and respectfully debate clients when the work is too good to compromise.
Time to raise the bar on the value of account leadership
If we want braver ideas, stronger client relationships and better results, it simply starts with account leadership. The opportunity to bring clarity, conviction and creative ambition to every interaction.
That means we must invest in account talent, through training, mentorship, and by recognising their value as an industry. Creatives might be the pilots, strategy the co-pilot (go with me here on this basic analogy), but the account leaders are the engineers, and they ensure the plane takes off. When you’ve got a great one as your partner, anything is possible. And the best creative leaders know this advantage.
So, if you work in account service and wonder whether leadership is your thing, the answer is yes. It already is. And right now, creators need you sharper, braver and more ambitious than ever.
—
Belinda Drew is one of the many industry leaders behind AdSchool’s Account Leadership and Manager Fundamentals courses. If you or your team are ready to build better client relationships and drive better work, start here.