In marketing, speed has always been part of the game. But in today’s world, where change change outruns us all, speed alone isn’t enough. The leaders who thrive are those who move fast with purpose, balancing urgency with clarity, and agility with intention.
After 21 years in this industry, the last 15 of which I’ve spent leading an agency in Dubai, I can say one thing with certainty; agility has been my ultimate superpower.
Agility as a Compass
I learned that lesson early. In my very first week as a junior, I was asked to join a pitch for a well-known feminine hygiene brand. A week later, I was out in public car parks conducting focus groups for an automotive client. That’s when it hit me. No two days would ever be the same, and I would never know everything there is to know. From that point on, agility became my compass - guiding me from the most junior role in a 200-person agency to leading an always-evolving independent media agency in the GCC.
That same superpower extends beyond the workplace. Success often comes down to reading the room, adapting fast, and responding with clarity.When I’m asked what my most important leadership goal is, I say it’s to cement relevance. And like cement, it only sets strong if it keeps moving.
In our world, success can easily lead to stagnation. The audience profile, media mix, or adtech stack that worked in the first quarter might look unrecognisable by the fourth, even for the same client selling the same product. The true winners are those who allow themselves the graciousness to unlearn and relearn. Because while the fundamentals of success stay the same, success itself doesn’t live in control, it lives in surrender.
Curiosity Over Certainty
The most intelligent and agile leaders are those who know they don’t know it all, and never will. They cultivate curiosity within their teams and empower people to evolve. That mindset will take you further than mastering a skillset ever will.
History is full of proof. Think of Post-it Notes, Play-Doh, Nintendo or even YouTube. None of them succeeded by rigidly sticking to their original ideas. They adapted, repurposed, and embraced change, turning what once seemed like failure into innovation.
The most impactful people in any organisation don’t just execute what’s in their job description. They look at the state of play, identify which levers to move, and amplify the efforts that matter most. That’s how relevance, and influence, are built.
Staying Relevant in a Changing World
Relevance also requires reflection at a macro level. Media remains at the heart of what I do, and at its root, media comes from medium; a channel of communication or expression. Today, that expression can live on a billboard, a podcast, a delivery platform, or even a Reddit thread. Each context allows you to reach people differently,sometimes even those who didn’t know they needed your product or service until your message sparked desire in just the right way.
In this industry, stagnation is the true enemy. Keep moving, keep evolving, keep questioning. The future belongs to those who admit they don’t know exactly where it’s heading, but focus every day on staying relevant, purposeful, and impactful.
Because in a fast-changing world, curiosity will always take you further than certainty. And leadership at speed isn’t about racing ahead, it’s about balancing pace with purpose, and agility with meaning.
