Creative Speed + Excellence.

People and Processes play a part in innovation and creativity. Yet we forget how an organizational structure can change everything.*

Many moons ago, I was an Associate Creative Director at a large advertising agency working on one of the largest auto brands in the world. It was an exciting time as we were working on the first relaunch of a truck in seven years.

My creative partner and I had a campaign idea radically different from the usual auto ad, and it also used new technologies. We presented internally with aplomb.

Our Creative Director, Group Creative Director, and Executive Creative Director all made tweaks and changes as the work went on a seven-week journey to the Global CCO. Along its climb upward, the campaign twisted and turned. It was changed, reverted, rereverted, became a shadow of what it once was, and then eventually, pretty close to where it started (but way tighter).

Interestingly, no creative leadership (except the GCCO) could or would approve the work.

Once the work reached the top, it took four more weeks to make its way down the other side.

In other words, it took three months for the campaign to the Green lit or stopped. (The campaign was presented to the client, and stopped, for many reasons.)

* McKinzie states: the average lifespan of companies listed in Standard & Poor's 500 was 61 years in 1958. Today, it is about 12 years. And by 2027, 75% of the companies currently quoted on the S&P 500 will have disappeared.

As a company, you're standing still if you're not innovating. And if you're standing still and your competitors are progressing, you may close your doors now. Building a constant cycle of innovation and evolution will help your business stay alive. 

Layers = Wasted hours, stress, and time.

Lessons like the one above have taught me an immense amount. There is a reason that some tech companies can innovate so fast. They have a very flat organizational structure, where all leadership can approve work, and the team has easy and direct access to decision-makers.

Flat organizational structures often mean that some people will not manage others, which is ok. And it also means managers will have more direct reports (at Amazon, I had up to 12 people).

Flat structures also help with career growth. People feel empowered and take responsibility. They have the power to own and enable progress.

Leadership: to solve, you need to be involved.

At a time of high-speed innovation, leaders need to be involved in the business. They need to amplify what is working and have the ability to connect with people - and you can't connect with the team when you're several layers away.