This much I’ve learned

The best advice I ever got …

‘Be yourself because you’ll never be as good at trying to be someone else.’ It didn’t suit me trying to ape a ‘kick ass’ style of management. Passion and nurture came much more easily to me.

 The worst advice I ever got ...

A senior female executive told me never to be seen at the photocopier, making tea or doing your own typing if you wanted to be taken seriously.

 Don’t underestimate ...

The importance of looking the part, sounding the part and behaving like it. It never ceases to amaze me how people who work in marketing and comms give their clients advice about their brands’ presentation but don’t feel that it applies to themselves.

 Don’t overestimate ...

That everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing, supposed to be saying or even what props to bring to a meeting.

 The experience that taught me most ...

Being CEO in a market that was going off a cliff. They do say that you learn most from adversity and it’s mainly true. Making people redundant whom you have recruited, trained and spent time with is seriously tough. You have to make hard decisions, and act earlier than you’d ideally like, for the sake of the company.

 The most fun i had ...

Being a planner at Saatchi & Saatchi in its ‘maddest and baddest’ period.

 The worst moment ...

The worst research debrief I’ve ever sat in was when I had briefed the research but hadn’t had a pre-meeting with the researcher. The first thing he told the client was that the research had gone wrong and so the answer wasn’t validated.

 Peak career experience ...

What I’m doing now. I have a portfolio of really interesting roles. Life is full and fulfilling – but who knows what’s next?

 Rita Clifton is chairman, Interbrand UK www.interbrand.com