Welcome to the tenth instalment of our interview series, Leadership Insights: 3 questions with… where we ask the same three questions to each of the exceptional leaders we interview, revealing some very unique and insightful answers.
This month we spoke to Katie Grosvenor, who is the Chief Marketing Officer at GroupM UK
Katie’s journey began in 2004 at MediaCom, rising from PA to Marketing Director by 2011 and Global Operations Director by 2016. In 2017, she delved into tech, becoming Head of Northern Europe at IAS, where she played a role during the company’s VC-backed expansion and successful IPO, all while championing advertising’s role in inclusion across the UK. Returning to GroupM in 2022 as Chief Marketing Officer, Katie oversees the group’s reputation agenda, employee and client engagement plans, and is Executive Sponsor for GroupM’s Empower initiative. She is also a member and former COO of Bloom, which champions women in communications.
And here’s what Katie had to say…
1. If you could rewind the clock to when you started out on your leadership journey, what advice would you give yourself?
I’d tell myself to focus on coaching teams rather than solving every problem – empowering others by setting clear boundaries and allowing them to grow within them. More important than solving everyone’s challenge is to know you have their back. The best bosses I’ve had are the ones who I’ve walked away from knowing they’re in my corner, even if we disagree on something.
Also, good leadership isn’t about being the ‘star’, or the loudest person in the room but about finding and nurturing great talent. Trying to be the ‘go-to to get shit done’ person and please everyone sets unrealistic expectations and unclear personal boundaries. Plus, you’ll probably fall into the trap of doing the stuff others can’t be bothered to and you (and your team) don’t actually enjoy.
The other one would be to consistently showing appreciation. It’s always a ‘we’, never a ‘me’, and if it’s not, something in the team isn’t working.
2. What is the best advice you have been given about creating a positive team culture or being a leader?
The main thing would probably be to lead with authenticity and compassion. My team generally know what’s going on with my life and if there are personal things impacting my work, and I hope that’s built a culture whereby they feel they can do the same. That said, I think being open can be confused for not filtering ANYTHING. There’s a difference between being transparent with your team on challenges and using them as a sponge to hear your own frustrations with work.
I’m also world class at using humour as a copying mechanism and to build relationships, but mostly at my own expense. I remember coming out of a board presentation which I’d started with something like ’Sorry, now for the boring bit’ to get a chuckle and my CEO calling me out on it. While humility is valuable, self-deprecation can signal a lack of confidence in what your saying.
3. What is the one book that has most influenced your approach to leadership?
I’ll be honest, most of the business books on my shelves have been given to me and I’ll often pick chapters to read rather than the whole thing. The one that I did read cover to cover was American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company. It’s a compelling case study in transformational leadership, showing how Alan Mulally saved Ford by uniting the company around a clear vision, fostering a culture of transparency, leading with integrity and executing with disciplined consistency.
Two other authors are Simon Sinek and Brené Brown. Simon Sinek’s work, particularly Start With Why, focuses in on the power of purpose-driven leadership and how inspiring others starts with clarity of “why.” Brené Brown’s focus on vulnerability and courage talks about how authentic leadership isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about being real, building trust, and leading with empathy.
The books that stay with me though, for more than just good storytelling, are probably Paola Coelho’s “The Alchemist” and Mitch Albon’s “The Five People You Meet in Heaven’’. The Alchemist because it makes you think about the importance of intuition, and The Five People You Meet in Heaven because it makes you think about perspective – about the small, often unseen ways we shape others’ lives (or don’t). Plus, I cry every time I read it which is good for the soul.