Bossing It: Being as Hands on as Possible with OJ Deady

OJ Deady is managing director of premium creative content agency TwelveA.M. Based in London and having recently moved from his role as creative director OJ has and continues to oversee creative direction for brands including billion-dollar celebrity cult-beauty brand Augustinus Badder, global retailer Reserved, and Tiffany&Co. 

The agency is focussed on telling real people's stories and fully committed to understanding their subjects and telling their stories in an unguarded and authentic way, with great respect for what goes into narrative-driven and honest imagery. OJ's current focus is on growing the team and expanding their portfolio in the luxury space.

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

OJ> The very first experience was through team sport and something that has stood with me from a very early age. In sport leadership isn’t something that can be dressed up through a fancy title or perceived value but instead is very much based on performance and what you offer and how the example is set by very practically doing what is required rather than simply showing the way.

I have always, through my path to leadership, first and foremost carried out the work and continually try to lead by example. There comes a time where you have to relinquish control to others but by taking an active role in every element of the agency structure, I feel confident to be able to lead a team who trust in my direction while also learning directly from them.

LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?

OJ> As above, I never want or wanted to be a leader who stands on the side lines but instead is prepared to be as hands on as possible and do the work - not just talk about it.

LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?

OJ> An old colleague and someone I always admired and took a lot from early in my career was Rich Ascot, now the CMO at Cowboy. Although I was quite junior at the time I always felt Rich had my best interests at heart in terms of my wider career development and wasn’t focussed on what I could do to support him but instead created an environment that allowed me to forge my own path. There’s a selflessness in that which I always wanted to pay back. I hope my team sees that in my leadership style. He was a good laugh too - that’s important. 

LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?

OJ> I can’t say I did. It was the strength of my team that has allowed me to take on a more focussed leadership role. The talent they have and the commitment they show daily allowed me to pause and figure out that my time was better spent nurturing that and creating an environment of support to fulfil their potential. In a lot of ways that’s very much a business decision and something that became more and more obvious as we grow.

LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?

OJ> This is quite a difficult one and something I can’t say I’ve thought about in too much detail in the past. From my experience and working in various different managerial structures and with so many different styles of leadership, I think part of it has to be part of your personality for sure. That said, a capacity to learn and improve is in everyone, so once someone is prepared to take an objective view on how individuals interact and respond, then I think you can find a leadership style that works best for your team and not just you as an individual. Maybe not everyone is prepared to acknowledge that.

LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?

OJ> Coming from a creative background, belief and confidence in your own abilities and ultimately your work is essential to be able to sell to a client and convince a room that what you're saying is the only thing they should be considering spending their budget on. That, when working in a team environment and particularly in a leadership role, can have its challenges. It can be mistaken for ego and it may sound simple but over the years I have become less guarded and more accepting of input from all aspects of the business. Creatives are often left to work in silos and are expected to deliver the knockout punch but the more I have opened up the floor for a truly collaborative approach the more reward I have gained in seeing others grow - far greater than any pitch win.

LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?

OJ> I'm sure there are more than one instance of failure and without sounding too cliché, as a leader that is part and parcel of the role. Being accountable is the only way to address any form of failure and the only way any possibility of learning from such is achievable. 

LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?

OJ> This question is twofold for me. My instinct would always be to be as transparent as possible, with possible being the operative word. However, I don’t feel as though you lose a sense of authenticity by being considered. Perhaps a balance is what I’m always seeking. Openness is something I have never shied away from and in the most part I tend to be as frank as possible and get to the point. That may not always be the best approach but I believe if that’s the starting point then I feel like there’s less chance of ending up in the grey. 

LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?

OJ> I don’t have a mentor per se, or certainly not any mentor that is probably aware that they have mentored me in some form but I observe how other leaders are with their teams and pick up on nuances that I can apply to my everyday leadership style. I have mentioned Rich Ascot previously but also his successor Rav Dhaliwal had great impact early on in my career. More often than not though, this comes through interactions within the Miroma group which we are fortunate to be a part of.

In terms of mentoring anyone else, in its more modern form, no. I hope that my approach is something my team takes into their dealings with their counterparts and is something that they learn from but aside from that, not as of yet - I still have a lot of learning to do myself before taking on that responsibility.

LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?

OJ> Sharing goals and ambitions to put it simply. These may be very short term things to focus on at times with broader ambitions always staying true. Navigating our way to achieve these goals along with time to get there might change but when the collective ambition stays true and is consistent then I feel as though we collectively cope as a team. My role is to continually identify opportunities to achieve these and provide stability when things do change. 

LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?

OJ> We widened our channels for finding people to collaborate and work with. In an industry that can be so time scarce, it's often very easy to fall back on what we know. Contrary to that, it’s also an industry that champions originality and new ways of working. A key part of my role moving from creative director into managing partner has been to proactively focus on D&I. I think it’s easy to say that it’s something we always considered as an agency but until time was actually committed to changing our approach and considering what true diversity means within the industry, is when we actually started to achieve a more inclusive working environment, which I can confidently say will continue to improve.

LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?

OJ> Paramount. It’s something we have been so very fortunate to cultivate through time spent together as a team, which I don’t underestimate the importance of. We have an incredible foundation as a business having worked together collectively for almost a decade in some cases.

Ultimately I feel a respect for people’s time is what generates a positive culture. New ways of working have had a massively positive impact on our agency and the time we do spend together has to be purposeful and rewarding. Considering that as a whole and not just doing something because that’s how it used to be, is key to achieving this.

LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?

OJ> It may not be the most quantifiable or even tangible resource but speaking with and observing other business leaders in differing industries, has been the only real avenue I have taken when it comes to seeking inspiration or help. I may be naïve in my thinking but the last thing I want to do is read a book from someone who ran an ad agency 20 years ago - that’s not to say I haven’t but it’s not something I have learned masses from. I find conversations with people who do something completely different to me in terms of output but are in leadership roles to be the most meaningful when seeking inspiration.