In today’s fast-paced digital advertising landscape, agency leaders face unprecedented challenges: delivering outstanding client work while maintaining team satisfaction and personal well-being.
With industry churn rates at 32% and increasing pressure on delivery teams, developing leadership capabilities that drive both business growth and sustainable performance is more critical than ever.
Drawing from extensive experience in digital advertising, I’ve adapted the Wheel of Leadership into a framework designed to help agency leaders navigate six interconnected areas essential for success.
Unlike traditional leadership models, this approach tackles the unique pressures of digital agencies, where rapid delivery, constant innovation, and high expectations often conflict with resource limitations and team well-being.
This model provides practical, real-world tools to help leaders achieve outstanding results—without compromising their own or their team’s health.
Let’s dive into how it works.
The Wheel of Leadership
Modern agency leadership demands more than just delivering great work—it requires balancing high performance with team well-being and long-term strategy.
The Wheel of Leadership breaks this down into six interconnected areas, each critical to leading effectively in today’s fast-paced digital advertising landscape.
1. Self-Leadership – Mastering Your Own Effectiveness
Great leadership starts with managing yourself. This includes how well we prioritize, structure our time, and invest in our own development.
In this area, we will work on setting boundaries, avoiding burnout, and continuous learning. The stronger our self-leadership, the better equipped we are to lead others.
2. People Leadership – Empowering and Supporting Your Team
Our ability to develop, support, and motivate our teams directly impacts performance and retention. Strong leaders foster a culture of trust, provide clear direction, and create an environment where team members feel empowered to do their best work.
In this area, we will work on empowering the leaders to coach, delegate effectively, and recognizing achievements to build effective and engaged teams.
3. Performance & Impact – Achieving Business Goals with Focus and Efficiency
High performance isn’t just about hitting KPIs—it’s about doing so efficiently while keeping our team engaged and motivated.
This area focuses on balancing output with sustainable workflows, ensuring both short-term wins and long-term success.
4. Strategic Thinking – Balancing Daily Demands with Long-Term Vision
In a fast-moving industry, daily tactical demands often overshadow BlueSky thinking. Yet, maintaining a strategic outlook whilst handling daily pressures is essential for both business growth and team development.
This area focuses on our ability to carve out dedicated time for forward planning, innovation, and market analysis—activities that drive long-term value for both agency and clients.
5. Communication & Influence – Leading with Clarity and Confidence
Whether managing clients, inspiring our team, or advocating for resources, communication is at the core of leadership. Strong leaders articulate ideas clearly, adapt their messaging for different audiences, and build influence across all levels.
This area isn’t just about presentation skills; it’s about building trust, managing expectations, and influencing decisions that affect team resources and client deliverables.
6. Resilience & Well-Being – Sustaining Energy and Avoiding Burnout
Leadership is demanding, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of our health and personal life.
This pillar focuses on maintaining our energy, managing stress, and sustaining relationships outside of work.
Bringing It All Together
These six areas don’t operate in isolation—they are deeply interconnected. Strength in one supports the others while neglecting one can create pressure elsewhere.
The Wheel of Leadership helps agency leaders assess where they are strongest, and where they need growth and provides practical strategies to lead with impact—without sacrificing their own or their team’s well-being.
By focusing on these key areas, agency leaders can build not only high-performing teams but also careers that are fulfilling, sustainable, and rewarding.
