Karen Blackett: Listen more in order to lead

Karen Blackett is a well-known figure in the world of advertising. She is the former president of WPP in the UK and she served as CEO of MediaCom in the UK from 2011 to 2015.

She also sits on several boards, including Diageo and Creative UK, and serves as chancellor at the University of Portsmouth. She was also a non-executive director at The Cabinet Office from 2019-22, covering the aftermath of Brexit and Covid.

That means she has experience of a wide variety of different parts of the commercial world and public life. We caught up with her at an event in London called Women in Entrepreneurship, hosted by investment firm BGF.

The secret that Blackett wants to share with Business Leader is all about the power of listening, overcoming the temptation many leaders have to speak and set the agenda themselves.

“One of the best pieces of advice that I've ever had in business that I've lived and breathed by,” says Blackett, “is use your two ears and one mouth in that proportion.

“In business, you're often asked about your opinion, you're often asked to set the direction of travel, to ensure that you've got the vision for the company.”

But you can only formulate that vision once you’ve really listened to everyone who has a stake in that future, she says.

“I really think not enough business leaders use their ears and their mouths in that proportion.”