Tanya Vragalis, Managing Director, TBWA\Sydney

TMA so far: What’s the single most valuable insight gleaned? 

If you think leadership is about you, your ego has led you astray. Leadership has little to do with you and everything to do with those you lead.

How to nail the TMAs entry requirements?  

Be the real you. Showing up polished isn’t going to get you through.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given & why? 

Listen more than you speak. As humans, one of our basic needs is to feel heard, seen and understood. Listen intently. Don’t just hear the words and syllables—listen so you can understand and relate. Listen to learn. Listen to empathise.

The greatest professional lesson you have relearned/assumption to explode? 

No doubt the pandemic has taught many lessons but for me personally, it has given the biggest lesson in leadership: Always be open to change, do more listening than talking, transparent open communication and show people you care. It surely sounds obvious, but these ingredients are part of what helped drive what was one of our strongest years in the most uncertain time. Huge learning curve over past two years.

Greatest capability gap (individually & within your teams)? 

TBWA are a radically open collective, which means we are able to leverage our global and local network to pull in any capabilities required on the ground in Sydney quite quickly.

Talent crisis: What’s the impact on your teams, how to navigate (what is keeping people from moving on?) 

Sickness has impacted our team the most so puts more pressure on the teams picking up the workload, so ensuring that we look out for each other and catch any signs of overwork early is key while prioritising workloads, bringing in extra support, and having honest conversations with clients on timelines and so on. To combat the ‘great reconsideration’, we have doubled down on our people strategy to keep our people happy, motivated and productive. It’s underpinned by transparency, pastoral care, flexibility, a robust learning and development program, agile career development discussions, prioritising mental health and wellbeing, a clear recruitment strategy and platform, and all the fun stuff that our social club brings. This has led to only 12.8 per cent churn YOY. So, it looks to be working.

Jade Lish, Portfolio Marketing Manager, Mars Food

TMA so far: What’s the single most valuable insight gleaned? 

‘If you focus too much in the future, it’s hard to appreciate the present and celebrate what got you here (past)’. I’ve been working a lot with my coach about pulling my 90 per cent future focused mindset back to the present; to celebrate the here and now, observe others around me & not be so focused on the end goal.

How to nail the TMAs entry requirements?  

1. Speak to a previous alumni member, they are great at providing tips and tricks. 2. It’s all in the preparation for me. Think about what questions they might ask, how you come across, and put your best foot forward. 3. Thirdly, have some fun with it! It’s the best process and a great result if you get in!

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given & why? 

‘Think of your career as experiences not jobs or a ladder’. What do I need in experiences or skills to get me to my end goal and how am I going to build a way of achieving these, through what I know, what I don’t know yet and who can help me?

The greatest professional lesson you have relearned/assumption to explode? 

‘People make a business. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy are underrated. You need to play the game under the table’. All of these are recent discoveries and now I am aware I see them play out every day. It’s all about how you influence people to get your end result, not just about the end result.

Greatest capability gap (individually & within your teams)? 

Keeping up pace with the future of marketing and the new technologies that will keep us on our toes! While the marketing science and fundamentals haven’t changed, the way we execute has! How do we make sure we stay on top of this and ahead of the game?

Ed Steiner, Managing Partner, Hall & Partners

TMA so far: What’s the single most valuable insight gleaned? 

Feedback is a gift. By providing timely and transparent feedback in a constructive way you empower your team to realise their potential.

How to nail the TMAs entry requirements?  

Authenticity and vulnerability. Sugar coating only rots your teeth so be yourself – that is the best version of yourself.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given & why? 

You don’t need to have all the answers. This was feedback given by a global client and I heeded it straight away. The power of saying ‘I don’t know, but let me find out’ is significant. It shows humility, intelligence and a keenness to support the business needs. BUT always follow up. Never say you will come back to them and let it slide!

The greatest professional lesson you have relearned/assumption to explode? 

All good decisions are based on human insights. We can learn from everyone, but basing marketing decisions on human behaviour will yield stronger outcomes.

Greatest capability gap (individually & within your teams)? 

Leadership. Leadership is required at all levels and in all tasks. Leadership is about taking responsibility for a task, be it macro or micro, and ensuring and being a positive influence on those around you.

Talent crisis: What’s the impact on your teams, how to navigate (what is keeping people from moving on?) 

Culture is everything. A positive culture makes people want to be there and stay there. They invest more of themselves emotionally and passionate care about the mission. Without a strong culture, your business is a house of cards.