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By Anine de Wet, Client Relationship Lead at Cache Studio

 We live in a time when a lot of the advice we’re seeing online is developed from a prompt given to ChatGPT after bingeing corporate TED Talks. “Optimise for synergy.” “Leverage your verticals.” “Think outside the box.” It’s not the way we operate in the real world and it’s very little use when you’re leading a creative team under pressure, trying to meet a deadline. 

I don’t have it all figured out, but after 20 years of working in and leading a couple of agencies, I’ve learned a few lessons the hard way. From doing the work. From learning from those around me. And from getting it wrong, more than once.

Here are a few of the business (and life) lessons I live by:

1. The personal is professional

I used to think there was a “work self” and a “home self.” That you had to leave your emotions at the door to be taken seriously. I don’t think that anymore. We’re whole humans and it’s good to be reminded of that often. I’ve learned that when you treat people as people first, when you actually care about what’s going on in their lives, they give you their best because they trust you. That kind of commitment can’t be faked or forced.

2. Lead from the trenches

Nothing builds credibility faster than getting stuck in alongside your team. When something hits the fan (and it will), I am not afraid to jump in, sleeves rolled up, coffee reheated. Need to stay up late with the team to review a pitch deck? Do it. Not because you don’t trust them to do it alone, but because she’d do it better with someone in the trenches beside her. That doesn’t mean you have to be there all the time (mostly late at night) but be there when it counts, when your experience is the calmness the room needs.

3. Be in the room to read the room 

While I don’t wish to contribute to the ongoing debate around hybrid or remote work policies in the industry, I do know that in-person interactions are valuable. And that it is always worth making an effort to meet with people – be it your team, clients or even suppliers – in person as often as you can. There’s an energy and a dynamism to in-person interactions that are, in my view, impossible to establish on a video call. I’m talking eye contact, body language, and all the subtle ways we communicate without saying a word. Connection is vital in business and building connection and establishing rapport is generally easier and more sincere in person.

4. A great 2IC is worth their weight in gold

No one leads alone. At least not well. The best thing I ever did for my career (and sanity) was build relationships with strong second-in-commands – those people who anticipate the potholes before I even know I’m driving toward them. Your 2IC doesn’t need to be your best friend, but they should be someone who gets your rhythm, complements your gaps, and isn’t afraid to challenge you when you’re about to do something that might be a mistake. 

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5. Consistency builds safety

Want your team to thrive? Be the same person on Monday morning as you are on Friday afternoon. Emotional consistency in leadership creates psychological safety. And when people feel safe, they take creative risks. It doesn’t mean you have to be cheery all the time. It just means your reactions shouldn’t be unpredictable. No one should ever wonder which version of you is walking into the meeting today.

6. Emotional intelligence > ego

You can’t coach someone you don’t understand, and you can’t understand them if you’re too busy trying to be The Boss. I’ve found that real leadership is about reading the room, not dominating it. It’s about knowing when someone needs a pep talk, a moment alone, or just a decent lunch break. When people feel seen, they do better work. That’s not soft – it’s smart.

7. Firm doesn’t have to mean harsh

I’m all for boundaries, and I believe in holding the line. But being firm doesn’t require coldness or cruelty. So-called respect built on fear is fragile and it cracks the second something goes wrong. I’ve learned how to say no with kindness. How to give hard feedback without crushing someone’s spirit. And how to let people make mistakes without making them feel like one. You can be direct and human. 

8. Done is better than perfect

This is a tricky one for those working in agencies to grasp. A lot of the time, our clients want perfection – and we’re so busy chasing that, that we risk delivering nothing at all. I’d rather have 90% now than 100% never. This doesn’t mean I don’t care about quality. It means I trust that good work can evolve, and that speed often beats overthinking. Progress over polish, always.

At the end of the day, leadership isn’t a checklist. It’s how you show up – consistently, quietly, and especially when no one’s clapping and everyone’s tired. It’s in the little things – how you answer the panicked WhatsApp, how you debrief after a loss, how you celebrate a win without making it all about you.

I’m still figuring it out. We all are. But if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: you don’t have to lead like anyone else. You just have to lead like you – with empathy, clarity, and a sense of purpose that people can feel the moment you walk in.

Anine de Wet is the Client Relationship Lead at Cache Studio 

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