On The Leaders' Lounge with Carl Moggridge
I’m genuinely interested in what I do, and I’ve taken ownership of my career outside of my day job. Increasingly, I’m not sure I see the same curiosity and commitment to learn.
Carl Moggridge is the Managing Director of independent communications agency, Magnum & Co. He’s got some sage advice for emerging industry players.
What's an average day like for you? What are your main tasks?
I’m not sure there is an average day, but it’s about balancing the day-to-day operations of an agency, with delivering on our own vision. Essentially flipping between the urgent and the important.
A day could include a big new business pitch, or a day in Excel spreadsheets balancing the books. Then there’s having a beer with the team after a hard day’s work.
What excites you most about your current role?
Creating an agency that’s a great place to come and do interesting work. One that is full of positive people, committed to providing objective, honest ideas to brands that are up for making a difference.
You've had quite a remarkable career to date, what's helped you get there?
I’m not sure I’ve had a grand plan to get where I am. I’ve been fortunate to work at some amazing places with some amazing people. If you do a good job, work hard and remain patient you will have a good career.
One thing I would say is that I’m genuinely interested in what I do, and I’ve taken ownership of my career outside of my day job. Increasingly, I’m not sure I see the same curiosity and commitment to learn. As an MD I can only help people so much. At the end of the day and in my experience, the people that I’ve seen go on to do remarkable things have the same trait. They care more than others about learning and pushing themselves. They don’t wait for it to happen.
What challenges have you as an individual had to overcome, to get where you are today?
I’m inherently a massive introvert. I’m crap at small talk, I hate being the centre of attention and I find meeting new people exhausting. In an industry full of big personalities, I’ve had to find a way around that.
That said, I think this comes with positives. I’d say I listen more than most, I’m considered, and I like to think I don’t much of have an ego.
What's the best career or professional advice you ever received?
”Give a shit when nobody else is giving a shit”. This was from Adam Ferrier when I was at Naked Communications. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but if you care more about a client’s business and your own place of work, this stuff gets noticed. It also helps when things don’t go right. People are more likely to forgive you if they know you genuinely care for the right reasons.
So, what's the best personal advice you ever received?
This happened recently actually. A wise person who has been there, done it, and sold the odd agency reminded me to make time for myself. Something along the lines of you’ll be a better leader and husband if you do.
This is my first MD gig, and it very quickly became all consuming. I think this is great advice though, for anyone, at any level.
And, looking back, what advice would you now give to a younger you?
Don’t chase the money too quickly. Surround yourself with inspirational people you can learn from. I’ve done the former and it was the worst decision I’ve made.
Have you had a mentor? If so, how have they influenced you?
Not an official one. Many people have coached me, helped me and given me sage advice from time to time. In some respects, the need for official mentoring is quite sad when you think about it. It means something is missing. It means leaders aren’t being generous with their time. It means we’re letting young people down. It means young people don’t feel like they can ask for advice.
This is a massive shame. The best people I’ve worked for just did it, they didn’t need to be called a mentor.
What value do you believe mentors can provide?
First of all, they can’t make decisions for you, and they can’t change your future, only you can do that. For me, they can only give you their perspective based on their experiences. What you do with that is up to you.
Define ‘media’:
Anything that communicates is media. That means everything is media.
What advice would you give new entrants into the media and creative arts industry given, all things considered, how quickly it’s changing?
Find something you love and stick with it, it will work itself out in the end. I feel people change their minds too quickly and this is compounded by the pace of technology. Unfortunately, you need to invest time in things, it doesn’t happen overnight.
How reflective of Australian society is our Arts and Media industry currently
There’s always room for improvement, but I do feel we’re progressing in the right direction. I believe policies and targets that make us more inclusive will only get us so far. It’s a cultural and societal change that’s required, so you need to start with values and behaviour. Be respectful to everyone, give everyone a fair opportunity, be aware of any unconscious biases you have, but most importantly, just don’t be an arsehole.
What education, training, skills and/or knowledge do you believe are necessary for emerging industry leaders?
With so many opportunities available I feel people learn a lot of things at a shallow level. We need more people with deep expertise in certain fields.
However, getting people with diverse skills and backgrounds isn’t easy. I’d like to see people develop better people skills and understand the dynamics of a modern workplace.
And finally, what's your prediction for the future of the industry? Where is it heading, and what's it going to look like in 10 years time?
I feel like I live in the middle of Newton’s Cradle to be honest. We’ve swung from a very analogue world into to an overly digital world. Rather than a prediction, I really hope we’ll find a better balance in the next ten years, where we combine the best of the past with the future. Not all technology is great and sometimes it makes us very myopic, unproductive and even unhealthy.
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