So another Cannes Lion festival comes to an end. And for those of you who were present for the festivities and fun, I’m jealous. For those of you like me, who held the fort down at home, there’s always next year.

 Instead of sharing my favorite wins of the festival, I thought it could be fun to talk about some of the other benefits that come with the win of a Lion – because congratulatory messages and the hardware are just the beginnings. For creatives, it could also mean more opportunity at the agency, an increased salary and even more responsibility in the form of a promotion. So, I ask you this….does winning an award (even the likes of a Lion) mean you’re suited to be a CD? Does it mean you’re ready to run an account, lead a group of other creatives or take on other managerial roles?

I for one don’t think so. I think winning a Pencil or a Lion means you’re being acknowledged and awarded for a great piece of creative work, and recognition is something we all deserve. I also believe in salary increases and even more opportunity at the agency as forms of rewards, but not necessarily titles.

I think becoming a Creative Director is bigger than winning an award. One should have the ability to teach, influence and direct those around them. They should be composed leaders that present well, understand client relations and bigger business issues. In my experience, the best CD’s have been the ones that have the ability to identify BIG ideas, allow creatives to run with their own work, encourage curiosity and support their teams, no matter what, no matter where.  The best CD’s don’t throw you nder a bus in the middle of a meeting, they don’t take credit for others work and they don’t have a problem letting others have opinions. The best CD’s aren’t the ones with the most awards on their shelf. They’re the ones who lead and manage the teams with the most awards on their shelves.

So here’s to continually rewarding creatives for great work. And here’s to promoting those to the role of CD who truly deserve it.