Following the overwhelming success of last year’s sell-out event, The Communications Council has announced the return of the AWARD Creative Leadership Course in Sydney, with an additional course to run in Melbourne for the first time.

Exclusive only to The Communications Council corporate members, the course has been renamed for 2017 to reflect the significance of strong leadership qualities in CD roles.

The AWARD Creative Leadership course, which is curated and chaired by industry trailblazer and BMF creative founder Warren Brown, prepares star creatives for leadership roles by delivering an impressive series of interactive workshops, panels, role plays and Q&As with leading ECDs, agency CEOs and CFOs.

Brown said: “If I had to pick three qualities that are essential to being a good CD, having a highly developed EQ is crucial, and that comes with being a good listener. You also need the ability to inspire those around you, which requires a great degree of trust and belief.

“And finally, to have the hide of a rhino, or nerves of steel, because if you’re not confident in the decisions you make no one else will be either.

“The best thing about being a CD is having the opportunity to create a culture you’d like to work in, by being able to nurture talent and have pride in their achievements. Most rewarding though is being in the position to convince clients that they’re actually a lot better than they think they are.”

AWARD chair Mike Spirkovski said: “Not everyone has what it takes to be a CD – it’s a tough job with incredible responsibility. Yet, it is very rewarding once you get it right, which is the very premise of this intensive course.

“By the end of the three days, delegates will be challenged and taught the skills needed to lead and inspire those around them.

“In many ways, being a creative director is the ultimate test for a creative, and learning as much as you can before diving in will make a notable difference, to both the team and clients, when those challenging moments arise.”

The 2017 course agenda will be announced over the coming weeks, and will include the following modules over three intensive days:

• from creating to leading;
• the business of creativity;
• exploring the CD role; and
• Q&As and workshops.

The Communications Council CEO Tony Hale said: “Due to popular demand, we are pleased to be offering the course in Sydney, which sold out in record time last year, and to be extending it our Melbourne members.

“This course is a crucial part of the career journey for aspiring creative leaders, and given the overwhelming response from last year’s students, we are expecting the course to be booked out in both cities in 2017.”