LFH: Leading from home
Why Some Shortcuts Make the Journey Longer.
Can you run an agency remotely? Sure, but it’s a pain. At least, that’s how I see it. Especially when you’re in a leadership role. The term for it? LFA—lead from anywhere. Working completely remotely from a chalet or a Mexican creative enclave via Teams or Zoom. Sounds sexy, right? But it doesn’t match reality at all. What does reality look like? LFH—Lead from home. The problems I see here go far beyond the endearing sight of kids, hamsters, and partners «walking through the frame.».
Too much screen time, not enough reflection
The problem is screen time itself. And the fact that on many days there’s zero time between appointments. Literally zero. Because while people in Villariba are still saying goodbye during Teams call number 1, the next group is already waiting for Teams call number 2 in Villabajo. Even the three and a half minutes it might have taken «at the office» to walk from meeting room 1 to meeting room 2 are gone. Not to mention the travel time to and from meetings with clients or service providers. And with that, so too do the brief moments for reflection or catching up on emails.
The far bigger problem, however, is the lack of closeness. I mean physical closeness, not the «How are you? I’m fine»—type of screen-based closeness. In my view, physical closeness is essential for emotional closeness. For example, for the joke by the coffee machine—which is often cited in this context—or jumping on the table when a team’s idea wins in Cannes. Or even offering a word of comfort when, despite all our efforts, the client has decided to go with «the one with the little flags.» And when it comes to being creative, I believe that HO, LFA, and LFH don’t do the result any favors. Sure, there are ideas that you develop through craftsmanship and experience. And there are ideas that are born on the sofa and in just one person’s mind. But the energy that arises in a team—one that, ideally, also gets along well—cannot be digitized. And it’s irreplaceable. It will never emerge in a video chat. No one runs into each other by chance or spontaneously on Teams, Google, or Zoom. And so, no one contributes anything unexpected—but perhaps priceless.
It’s about creating and nurturing an atmosphere, an (agency) culture, and a breeding ground for creativity and a sense of community. It’s about building a place where people enjoy being—in part because it’s a place filled with people they enjoy spending time with and achieving things alongside. And in my view, that’s a leadership responsibility. A South African proverb sums it up well: «If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.»
* Manuel Wenzel, Creative Director at TBWA\Zurich, Wenzel treats us to a column in each issue of m&k’s print edition. What does that mean? We’re not quite sure yet, which is exactly why we love it. The advertising industry has a skewed image among the general public—and Wenzel believes that needs to be set straight.
