Bossing It: Learning and Leading with Devon MacDonald

Devon is president at Cairns Oneil, Canada’s leading independent media agency. Devon has extensive experience in the media, technology, and creative industries and uses his background to help his clients and teams achieve their ambition. In 2022, for his work in transforming the agency, Devon was named the Media Leader of the Year by Strategy Magazine.

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Devon> It would have started in sports as a teenager. I was tall at an early age, have good hand eye coordination, and an older brother who showed me the ropes and pushed me. With that, I captained a few teams in rugby, basketball, and football. All team sports, where the success of everyone is required for the win. Being a leader on those teams brought me confidence and an appreciation for doing things together.

Professionally the first company I ran was a technology service provider to not-for-profits. We had a clear vision and mission to bridge the digital divide for all and I was able to build a national network of partners to provide our services. It taught me about a lot of great organisations doing work for people. It was my first role leading a team of people and making sure I made payroll.

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?

Devon> I’ve had a lot of great leaders to learn from throughout my career. They all approached work with humility and were helping me push forward. It wasn’t until I moved to the advertising world that I saw leaders that I did not want to emulate. For some reason in advertising the norm became promoting good practitioners, not good managers.

There was a massive void in leadership training and teaching practitioners how to properly manage people and effectively lead teams. I distinctly remember observing a manager berate and belittle a star on their team one time. I took the star aside, told them to move on from this and to not ever take this as a lesson on how to manage people. I said the same to the manager.

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

Devon> I had a real breakthrough about the importance of empathy a few years ago. It took me longer than I want to admit getting there though. I was very used to putting myself in a client’s shoes. Thinking about their position, ambition and goals while devising a solution that would suit them. Once I started doing that for my people and teams I learned more about the why in their approach and what I really needed to do to help them.

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?

Devon> While I am a natural leader, it’s a specific skill to be constantly nourished and grown. I always put my hand up to lead things at school and work and have always had a mantra of forging ahead. As I’ve gone through my career, I realised that I love to do two things, learn and lead. When I found myself unhappy or struggling in a role or company I would pause to reflect. Every time I did that, I realised I wasn’t either learning or leading – which became my sign to leave.

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?

Devon> I think it is both a natural part of a personality and something that can be developed. Every person though who has a natural ability of any kind needs to focus and develop it as a skill for it to be fully utilised. There are a wide variety of leadership styles and distinct components to becoming an effective leader. I’ve been fortunate to have access to great training, mentors, and coaches throughout my career to build my leadership skills.

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

Devon> I need to continue to improve on communicating my vision. It's such an important part of leading a team and company and can’t be done too much. The more that people understand what we’re doing and why, the greater chance they have to be a part of it.

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?

Devon> I’m sure I’ve made a tonne of mistakes as a leader. I often reflect on decisions, learn from mistakes, take feedback from others and continue to work on my skills as a leader. It’s an ongoing process with no precise finish line as the environment we operate in and the people that we work with change every single day.

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

Devon> Every role in a company or team has a set of responsibilities to manage and own. As a leader I think it's important to share everything I can in a transparent manner with the company about where we are in the market and what our plan is. I also think that the more my team knows me, what makes me click and where my drive comes from, the more they’ll understand me. This means being direct about how I think and how I best receive information, while also sharing the latest goings on with my family. This sort of relationship is essential in building a strong team and culture.

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?

Devon> I’ve built some lifelong relationships with a number of people. I have a couple of mentors that I rely on and a leadership coach. They are my secret weapon and I trust them completely with their guidance. It is true that it's lonely at the top. Sharing with them and asking for advice always gives me a tremendous perspective.

I also got to watch them prioritise their family, take time out for things like wind surfing and always, always have the long game in mind. It's that integrity and relaxed approach that I try to embody everyday.

I also have a few people who I’ve worked with who I provide support to as a mentor. It’s important to do it when asked and is a great way to build the type of environment and world you want to live in.

LBB> It's been a really challenging few years - and that's an understatement. How do you lead a team out the other side of a difficult period?

Devon> An understatement indeed. It’s important to remain calm and have a plan. People need to know everything is going to be ok. When teams hear about client changes or budget cuts they naturally think about themselves and their careers too. We have a long-term plan in the continued transformation of our business and a very effective way of managing our business that has limited the impact to our company, and our people. We grew during the pandemic and continue to invest in our people and grow the company.

LBB> What are some ambitions and plans you have for the company and yourself in the coming year?

Devon> As an independent filled with open-minded professionals we can move smartly, and quickly. This year we led the industry with a first of its kind generative AI integration with dynamic creative optimization. This product now delivers 1:1 digital messaging at scale for our clients. We’re also going deeper into our data architecture work to further support client needs with data modelling and analytics. Our solution has full interoperability with our clients’ own systems. With an existing mantra of full transparency in media, this solution is redefining what being a media agency and partner is.

What does that mean for me? Our agency is a platform of ambition for our teams and clients. We’re going to make the investments and decisions that support the goals and dreams of our clients and staff.

LBB> What have you noticed as the biggest changes in the industry during your career thus far? And do you have any predictions for future trends or themes?

Devon> I started my career in the technology world, joining media later. I have noticed a lot of change but joining in the digital phase (to follow where the data is), the change doesn’t surprise me. The shift in consumer behaviour and access to content is clear. The solutions from partners to activate those consumers is also clear. The big theme for me is the connection of data to create a full view of the business and consumer. That is the future of media.

LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business?

Devon> Creating new solutions requires a builder mindset. Giving people the room to be curious and open minded is essential to our success as a client partner and agency. There are a lot of controls and models that other agencies put in place that inhibit thinking and progress. From our partner agnostic and transparent approach to our Awaken planning process, we are giving our teams the opportunity to read into the consumer and find the right spot for a brand.

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

Devon> I love to read. The best books for me have nothing to do with marketing, but about artists and how they approach their crafts. Recent favourite reads include Rick Rubin and Sinead O’Conner. I prefer the subway to get to work and love podcasts around current events and technology. Most importantly to me though, is getting exercise to keep me moving and clearing my head. When I have a tough problem to solve, a vigorous bike ride gives me the clarity and pause to think through a solution. It works every time.