I've always been the woman in the room with a thought (or two) about what's possible, what we should do and asking, "What if…this?" It's a mindset that's served me incredibly well throughout every step of my career and is a tenant I continue to hold onto tightly in my newly minted position as Noble West’s Managing Director. It could be because of who I am, how I’ve been measured or a combination of these and others; but I think so much of what has made me and some of the best teams around me successful is this desire for discourse and a penchant for doing that out loud.
In my heart of hearts, I’m a strategist. My aforementioned question-asking is born of a relentless curiosity. Combine that with a competitive streak and a love for solving problems and you get me - someone who knows she was born for the beautiful chaos of agency life and the equally turbulent/rewarding nature of working through said problems with others who have similar traits. I’ve spent a lot of time in my tenure wondering if there is an ideal mix, a formula, if you will, to be a good solver of problems and subsequently a good leader and while I’ve tested many a hypothesis there’s really only one throughline to wins I’ve experienced.
“It's about being brutally honest with yourself, understanding when your work has risen to the occasion and when it needs more refinement (or even a restart).”
I fervently believe it starts (and ends) with discourse—with others and with oneself. For me, this means not just voicing ideas but rigorously questioning and challenging them. It's about being brutally honest with yourself, understanding when your work has risen to the occasion and when it needs more refinement (or even a restart).
Discourse and sharing thoughts out loud are essential to anyone's success, especially in a creative environment. Too often, we shy away from disagreements and more often than not, we have environments that prevent them from happening. It's not that I believe all disagreements are productive—there's certainly an unproductive way to disagree—but more often than not, the best ideas are born of a whole team.
“…more often than not,
the best ideas are born of a whole team.”
That's why agency life is a team, not an individual, sport. If it were possible for the best ideas to consistently be born into the world from one person, agencies, consultancies, collectives, etc. would have died off by now. And while the state of the creative agency is in a bit of flux (more on that another time), the concept that ideas can be cultivated from an incubator is still a reality. At its core, it takes a team. A team that feels safe enough to disagree, leaders who listen and clients who are brave enough to say yes.
Some things I keep in mind:
Engage in Self-Discourse: Regularly challenge your own ideas and work. Ask yourself tough questions to ensure your output is as strong as it can be.
Create Safe Spaces: Encourage open dialogue in your team. Make it clear that differing opinions are not just tolerated—they’re valued.
Listen Actively: As a leader, your job is to listen just as much as you speak - something I had to work really hard on and still do till this day (ask me about the post it on my desktop). Give your team the space to share their thoughts, and truly consider what they have to say.
Encourage Brave Decisions: Help your clients and team members feel confident in taking risks. The best work often comes from stepping outside the comfort zone.
At Noble West, I’m proud to lead a team that embodies these principles. We don’t just tolerate different perspectives—we celebrate them because we know that’s how the best work happens.
It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.
