Campaign@8: What's your Oxygen? Part 4 of 6

What's your Oxygen? What's the one principle that has got you to where you are? Those were the questions we asked adlanders as we approached our eighth anniversary. And here's what they had to say.

‘I sleep well’
Pranav Harihar Sharma
ECD – North and West
Rediffusion Y&R

Revise your dreams. You have to chase something to keep running.  It’s like a bicycle, either you keep moving or you will fall. You can’t be at a standstill.

And by dreams I don’t mean designations! Nope.

You dream to be a writer and you become a copywriter. But then you chase to become a creative director.

Wrong chase.

Chase to be an author or a painter.  Learn Photoshop. Photography. Steal the job of your art director and vice versa. Learn marketing. Make your servicing insecure; give goosebumps to your client. I did all this. I’m an MBA, a copywriter, screenwriter, lyricist, painter, director and an adman.
I sleep well.

ONE TEAM

Pratap Bose
Founding partner and chairman
The Social Street

If there’s one principle or learning that I have followed in my career that has helped me attain the success that I have enjoyed, is that you have to attract, hire and retain the best talented team you can muster up. Once you have done that, the next biggest task is to keep them happy, motivated and get them to work as ONE TEAM!

You need enormous people skills to build a driven and dedicated team over the long haul, and the only way one can do that is to treat them as friends … not employees.

People need to be loved, appreciated, trained and believed in. They must in their heart of hearts, feel that they are cared for and that you want them to succeed, not just in work but in life as well.

‘Listen to your heart’
Prema Sagar
Vice chair, Burson-Marsteller, Asia Pacific and principal/founder
Genesis Burson-Marsteller

The one thing I have always done – in whatever I do – is to follow my head and my heart. Of course, you listen to counsel and weigh your options carefully, but at the end of the day, you have to listen to what your heart is telling you. One also has to be open to new ideas. I have always tried to do that and surround myself with people who are creative and angular! A calibrated combination of being open to new ideas and following my gut instinct is what has held me in good stead all my life… till now!

‘Don't complicate life’
Prathap Suthan
Managing partner and chief creative officer
BangInTheMiddle

Essentially, don't complicate life. Don't clutter your head. Don't do things you don't want to do. Don't be fake. Don't be pseudo. Don't act what and who you aren't. Don't cheat yourself. Don't give up. Don't lose passion. Don't let mediocrity get out. Don't be closed. Don't be dishonest. Don't over-analyse. Don't fight those who love you. Don't disrespect people. Don't forget dreams. Don't try to conquer the world. Don't go to bed angry. Don't argue to hear your own voice. Don't waste time with fools. Don't fight every battle. Don't follow others. Don't ignore your gut. Don't abandon your heart. Don't forget your roots. Don't be frugal with gratitude. And don't give up on happiness.
P.S.: Don't forget to call your parents.
 

'Work WITH people'

Rahul Jauhari
CCO
Rediffusion Y&R

Oxygen: Conversation and collaboration.

The richest ideas come from conversations with colleagues and people. And the best work happens when you work WITH people.

 

‘Suno sabki. Karo khudki’
Rahul Mathew
Creative head
DDB Mudra West
 Suno sabki. Karo khudki. Listen to what everyone has to say. You never know where a fresh perspective can come from. But your actions have to be your own. It's only actions that come from your gut and instinct that you'll be able to defend and follow through on.

‘I am happy because
 I am not happy’
Raj Kamble
Founder and CCO
Famous Innovations

I wake up everyday to do what I love to do. So I haven't worked a day in my life. I just play everyday with a bunch of fantastic minds.

One principle/learning/belief that’s held me in good stead is that I'm never happy with what I have. I always believe there's always a better idea that I have not thought of yet. This unhappiness keeps me going. I am happy because I am not happy.

 

‘Keeping the faith’
Raj Nair
Chief creative officer
Madison BMB

My main source of oxygen on a daily basis would be people at least 20 years (and even more) my junior in advertising. Whether in creative, servicing, planning, I learn all I can from them by surrounding myself with them. Much, much more than whatever I impart to them. I want to know what they read, listen to, watch, trip on, eat and in general, what they do. I constantly look to be inspired by them. The one principle that’s helped me get wherever I am would be to keep on keeping on. Keep fighting the fight. Keeping at it. And always keeping the faith.