A long time ago, in a land far away, I was given a reference that stated:
“Robert is driven by hate, but in a good way”.
Now on first impressions, it may appear that the person who said this was an idiot – but he wasn’t, he was a genius.
You see in one single line, he proved he ‘got me’.
While I don’t deny that I can be – and have pretty much always been – a cynical, opinionated and gutter-mouthed shit … the reality is that I am only like that because I hate it when people/companies get treated – or represented – unfairly and so when someone starts taking the piss, I start getting all piss and vinegar.
Now I appreciate this implies I think my judgement is the be-all and end-all … and whilst I’d love to think that’s the case, I know that couldn’t be further from the truth … however when you get companies like GREY treating Asia like this, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out they need a good kicking.
Anyway, the reason for his comment was because he knew my “issues” would ensure I’d do all I could to help our clients be the better than they thought they could be … which meant he got happier clients, more money and better platforms for his creative guys to weave their magic on.
However, despite this person having an incredible influence on my career, the person who probably had the most was a guy I’ll refer to as BS.
Basically I hated BS.
Sure he was smart and clever, but his self-serving attitude and eagerness to put others down [in a bid to make him look good in client and bosses eyes] made me sick.
He genuinely thought he was a rockstar – which he expressed by doing all he could to act, sound & look like the lead singer of a rather well known, full of their own self fucking importance rock band.
He thought he was better than everyone at everything.
Planning? Everyone is beneath him.
Creative? He is on par with the best of the best.
Management? He could do it with his eyes closed.
And while he was genuinely a good planner, his creative and management ability was an embarrassment – though he neither saw it or acknowledged it, mainly because he preferred to spend his time getting pissed with whichever creative was the current ‘superstar’ of the day and belittling anyone who dared do anything good that he had nothing to do with.
I remember he once asked for my comments on a paper he’d written for one of our clients.
I say ‘he asked for my comments’ but what he actually wanted was my fawning.
Well I didn’t play to the script because whilst it was genuinely well written [he was/is a fantastic writer] what he said was basically exactly the same as they were already doing and I told him so.
Next thing I know, he’s telling management ‘I don’t get it’ and I would probably be better being let go.
Seriously, he wanted to get me sacked just because I said something he’d written wasn’t as good as he thought it was.
Anyway, it all sorted itself out because within weeks he left – taking a massive gig at an agency that fell for his big talking, best mate drinking act … and I have to say, without him, we blossomed.
No longer were we being kept out of meetings … belittled … ignored …
No longer were our bosses being fobbed off with half truths or excuses …
No longer were our clients being presented with stuff that they’d either seen before or just felt was plain wrong …
As I said, the tragedy was he was a great brain … someone who could have made amazing things happen … but instead, his ego and arrogance took over and so all he left behind was mess and mayhem.
But like most things, there was a silver lining.
You see, I hated the way he treated me and my colleagues.
I hated how he had tried to get me sacked over nothing.
I hated how he achieved his success by being booze buddies with influential people.
I hated how anyone who didn’t agree with him was labelled an ‘idiot’ or ‘old school’.
I hated how he was constantly moving higher and higher despite doing having no work associated with his name.
And I took all that hate and worked my ass off.
I took on more work, more responsibility and more chances because I needed to show him I was worthy of his respect.
I know … I know … I shouldn’t have cared, but I did … not because I regarded him as someone I looked up to, but because he was someone I wanted to make eat his words.
Yes it was pathetic … yes it was pure and utter pettiness and revenge … but you know what, it did a lot for me because as I followed his career and saw he was getting ‘found out’ by more and more companies, it made me work harder because I wanted to get to that point where our careers would pass … and whilst I’d never actually say something to him [if only for the fact he’d then say I owed whatever I’d achieved to him. And mean it] the fact is my anger towards him probably drove me more in my career than any desire to be half decent at what I do.
I know it all sounds like some bad 1980’s Hollywood sports movie – and underneath it all, I am sad a person with more talent than I’d ever have has pissed it all away literally and metaphorically – but I guess what I’m saying is that as much as we all need people to encourage us and believe in, don’t underestimate the importance of also having someone you want to beat.