Introduction and Call for Entries

Several months ago, I was directing my creative team to put together a complex presentation to a senior client on our biggest piece of business. With five days to go, two big habits kicked in: I commandeered the wall outside my office — and I feigned a sense of calm.

On the wall I marked places for each of the forty-five ads, banners and direct mail pieces my team would create over the next five days. On the side, I posted a detailed outline of the presentation, noting who was responsible for what, the key message of each piece, by when I wanted to see a draft, by when the revision, and what had to go to the studio downstairs for mounting.

With everything on the wall, I walked the whole team through what we were going to do, and, most importantly, what each of their role was. I made sure they each understood what was expected, not to mention seeded possibility we’d have to work the weekend.

One of my most ambitious (and best) associate creative directors, new in his job, admired the wall, patted me on the back and told me he was “Taking notes.” I appreciated how this guy, one of the most talented people in the agency, was actively learning by paying attention. I also was, admittedly, flattered. It was no secret he wanted to be a creative director and lead his own teams and clients to greatness. Til then, he was going to follow — and absorb from me. I envied his energy, his drive, and the clarity his goals. Then I realized wait, did I do that too?

THE THEORY
I believe, the more we supervise and manage people, the more we appreciate those who first did it for us. And tap what we learned from them.

Our earliest mentors indelibly shape our experience, our judgment, our actions. They’re the ones who gave us our first chances to prove our mettle, and we made it (or blew it) with their encouragement and reaction. They also gave us an insider view into how to behave in the workplace, and we modeled ourselves after (or in opposition to) what they did. We tap these experiences every day as we lead teams, and, depend on them at more stressful times, such as personnel conflicts, personal tragedy and tough times when there are layoffs.

Indelible Influences is simultaneously a thank-you note to those who helped us, and a guide to those who will enter positions of leadership.
Each story highlights those who indelibly shaped our careers, the ones whose behavior we see regularly in our own actions. The people recognized here are professional influences. The boss. The supervisor. The career counselor. Parents, siblings and grandparents are off-limits.

We also recognize that mentorship a two-way relationship – and assume that we gave something back to them. I know from people I know mentor, that they certainly give me value in exchange. And I know that the ones who only took, I dropped, favoring those who didn’t. Time is precious, and I’ve developed less and less patience for those who flake on a contact I extend to them, or who don’t write a simple thank you note.

The goal, of course, is one day, to end up here.

HOW TO SUBMIT
If you'd like to participate in the Indelible Influences(r) project with the story of someone whose influences and impressions you tap in your career today, please send a draft of it in to mat@zucker.com. Guidelines are roughly 3,000 words or less and text format or audio to start. Though we expect the project to take off eventually and get more interesting and robust, no compensation is currently offered. The best stories will get featured and people will of course learn from them.

Mat Zucker
January 2005
New York, NY