Bossing It: "Do The Hard Thing First" with Justin Hind
Justin has over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry, with a special interest in blending creativity, digital, tech and data. He’s held senior leadership roles at top agencies like Y&R / Wunderman, Leo Burnett / Publicis, BBDO and BMF. In 2007, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by joining an adtech startup, Downstream Marketing, as COO. This venture was a great success, and Adobe acquired it in late 2010.
After that period, Justin returned to his creative agency roots, co-founding the highly respected and awarded WiTH Collective with his wife, Dominique. Dentsu acquired WiTH Collective in 2016 and Justin and Dominique exited the company in late 2019.
Following a period of gardening leave, Justin joined the Clemenger Group in December 2020 as the national CEO of CHEP Network and as a clemenger group board director. However, Justin's entrepreneurial spirit remained strong and in June 2023, he teamed up with Steve Knowles, from his Downstream days, and his wife Dominique to launch their next venture, Reunion.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Justin> My first experience of leadership was back in 2002 when I was the director of CRM at Wunderman in Sydney. Wunderman had just pitched and won Microsoft globally, and suddenly, I went from managing local CRM strategy to helping build and lead a large team in Sydney. I was collaborating almost daily with other Wunderman offices and Microsoft clients around the world.
Overnight, I found myself responsible for a significant number of people, a large revenue base, and keeping a major client with high expectations happy.
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?
Justin> Coming up through the ranks, I experienced various management styles—some great, some absolutely horrendous. I took the good parts, like being empathetic and understanding people's individual talents and motivations, and rejected the bad, which usually involved personal egos and individualism. I tried to align my style with my personal values: respecting everyone, genuinely listening, and being a straight talker, whether the news was good or bad.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Justin> In 2007, I was lucky enough to join an AdTech startup called Downstream Marketing as COO, backed by a prominent VC in Australia, netus. We had big ambitions, all the resources, and tremendous support from some of the most prominent business leaders in Australia.
The weight of responsibility we felt as a leadership team was huge, but the guidance and perspective we got from netus left an indelible mark on me personally as a leader and entrepreneur. Adobe acquired that business which was a huge learning curve too. Looking back, that entire period was foundational in shaping who I am and how I think today.
LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so, how did you work towards it, and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?
Justin> I always knew I wanted to do something significant with my career but didn't have a strict plan. Early in my agency life, I set a goal to become an MD or CEO, and I just worked my butt off to demonstrate my value. The harder I worked, the more responsibility I got, and I was exposed to more than just day-to-day work. Being taken more seriously and given more opportunities was formative for me.
LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, and how much can be taught and learned?
Justin> I think it's a mix. You need to be exposed to great leaders, leadership thinking, and situations where you can lead and contribute, both in good times and bad. But to be a natural leader, you also need to bring a lot of yourself and your own authentic values to the role. The combination of both is powerful.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Justin> For me, it's finding the balance between doing the right thing for the business, the individual, and the clients. Sometimes you have to make hard, unpopular calls and accept that you can't always please everyone. In the past, I've made decisions to protect the business by letting go of clients or employees who weren't aligned with our direction. I also made decisions to support individuals at the expense of business goals. I try to see challenges objectively and do the right thing according to my values and gut feeling.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?
Justin> Absolutely. If you’ve never failed, you’ve never learned or grown. I’ve kept toxic clients for revenue and held onto poorly performing employees hoping they'd improve. I failed when I didn't address issues head-on or acted with a sense of urgency. Now, my mantra is "do the hard thing first." Be reasonable and respectful, but make the call and move on. Procrastination only increases risks to the business, team, and clients.
LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?
Justin> I’ve always believed in being open, transparent, and authentic. I hope people I’ve worked with over the last 25 years would say that about me. I’ve always been happy to speak truthfully if I consider the question appropriate and coming from a good place. People are smart and can instantly tell if you're being disingenuous, which leads to scepticism and distrust. That said, I’ll only share information that is appropriate for someone’s level and experience.
LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor? If so, who were they and what did you learn? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?
Justin> I’ve never formally had a mentor. I’ve just tried to expose myself to a range of leaders I respect personally and professionally. I’ve always sought counsel from people I respect to see how they perceive situations.
I've always admired Daniel Petre and Alison Deans from netus for their intellect and values. I learned a lot from observing how Todd Sampson, former CSO and CEO of Leo Burnett Australia, saw the world.
I admire Simon Ryan from RyanCap, the former CEO of Dentsu Australia (who acquired our agency WiTH Collective), for his focus, drive, and tenacity. I’ve learned a lot from working with my current Co-CEO, Steve Knowles, who was Downstream’s founder and CEO, for his relentless entrepreneurship.
Lastly, my wife Dominique, who was my Co-Founder at WiTH Collective, taught me about humanity and genuinely caring for people. The collective experience of all of them has shaped how I think and operate today.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Justin> I try to be open, authentic, and honest. At Reunion, we keep dialogue open and positive, even in challenging situations. We all understand our mission and goals, and the more we stay aligned, the better we’ll navigate tough times together.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?
Justin> I’ve always seen everyone as equal and tried to understand what each person uniquely brings to the table. People with different perspectives and experiences, who bring positive energy, always make everything better.
LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?
Justin> Culture is everything. It’s super powerful when people internally and externally feel it. It can help you beat more skilled and established competitors. We have a flexible policy but prioritise in-person experiences at critical times. We come together as a priority but live our lives in the most successful way possible for ourselves and our families. Our team feeds off each other’s energy, which helps us build and grow Reunion.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Justin> Investing in a network of trusted people and peers has been invaluable. Be open and vulnerable with them. Give and take in equal measure because what you put out, you get back multiple times over.
I’ve also personally invested in two high-performance coaches over the years. They’ve kept me honest with myself when I didn’t want to be, helped me focus on my values and what’s important, and given me mental frameworks to see and evaluate the world. They’ve been expensive but have paid me back tenfold in personal growth, being a focused entrepreneur, and staying balanced across what’s important in my life.
