Do what is within your capacity and the rest, let others who can do.

Sudip Thapa
President
Advertising Association Nepal (AAN)

Sudip Thapa is the President of the Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN). Starting his journey in the advertising industry with ANS Creation, he has expanded his ventures to create ANSCo Group of Companies. Thapa is the Executive Chairman of ANS.CO, ANS.Creative, ANS Soft Incorporation, Adpad, Adpad Acquisition, Stuti Retails and Gloto Hills. With nearly 30 years of experience in advertising and brand strategy, Thapa has worked on multiple portfolios of more than 50 brands focusing on creative outlook and impactful communication, also directing over a hundred television commercials. 

Thapa’s strength lies in his ability to handle multi-disciplinary professionals and keep team members motivated. He is also good at multitasking to achieve exceptional outputs. He holds a Master’s degree in commerce, and is recognized for his management and public relations abilities.

In this issue of Business 360, Thapa speaks about various aspects of leadership. Excerpts: 

How do you define leadership?

I do not believe much in leadership principles and fundamentals. When a leader has varied access to resources, opportunities or power then they can be opportunists too. So, I view contribution to the industry as the greatest asset of leadership, no matter which sector one is involved in. 

My definition of leadership is being able to contribute to the industry that one comes from. And for this contribution, I believe that experience is very important. Along with experience comes the ability of a leader to make sacrifices to meet the desired objectives. 

A leader should also be someone who can listen. Listening to their team and amplifying their voices in the required place is also important. Advertising industry gave me 30 years of experience and now it is about what I can give back to this industry in my three years as President of AAN. 

Is leadership inborn or acquired?

A person may not have even seen a football when young but could later become a star in the sport. When they see, learn and gain experience then they can master anything whether it be football or leadership. 

God created all human beings equal but it is the environment in which they are that makes a difference. Even in a school the teacher teaches the same thing to many students but how each student perceives it is different. Similarly, when a person starts working professionally the work culture and environment influence their experiences. Throughout the various stages in life a person keeps collecting and perceiving all these sorts of experiences. Now those who can positively delve into these experiences and manage things properly can become a leader. 

What aspects of your personality have helped you to serve in leadership roles?

Leadership is also about maintaining a balance. For instance, we have a fantastic constitution but where we lack is in the implementation aspect. I feel there is a gap between the polices being framed and the producers and consumers. In the advertising industry it is crucial to bridge this gap between the big corporate houses, government and consumers. And as a leader, I believe that I can contribute to bridging the gap and maintaining the balance, which I believe to be my leadership strength. 

Additionally, I also have the listening and decision-making skills. I do not wait while making decisions. I believe in listening to everyone’s opinions, filtering what is right and wrong and then making decisions accordingly. 

In the marketing industry we really have to be quick in making decisions. Sometimes we need to make decisions in a fraction of second and sometimes in 10 days. So, catching up that pace and staying prepared for the competition is really important. And as a leader, my skills and capacity have helped me do the needful. 

Any agenda that you want to take forward as the leader of AAN?

The government has given around 1,500+ media licences and the advertiser also feels the pressure.  The advertising industry works in the midst of consumer, advertiser and media. Today the threat is not our creativity or communication; the threat is the increasing number of media and the frustration of advertisers. As the President of AAN, my major agenda is to maintain a balance and to ensure that all three industries sustain. It has been around 100 days since I took on the leadership position of ANN. As I mentioned earlier there is a gap between advertiser, media and agency. And to bridge this gap we are coming up with a memorandum of understanding between the three parties. The MoU can solve the existing problems of this industry that has been present for a long time. As the President, I think this is a major agenda that we are trying to address to ensure that the industry runs smoothly. 

Have you faced any failure and what did you learn from it?

Focus on your capacity and your passion. The advertising industry is my passion. I have worked as a communication expert, ad maker, brand manager and many other areas. While doing all these things, I gained various experiences and decided to make it a bit corporate. So, we added many extensions and reached diverse spaces like tourism, retail, consumer and many others. I might have made the organisation bigger but in this journey, I somehow lost happiness. I realised that it is not always necessary for one person to do everything. Do what is within your capacity and the rest, the others who can do. If you have skills for entrepreneurship, be one. If you want to be in the capital segment, open a capital venture. So do what you best can and be happy. 

How do you view leadership in the present and future generation? 

Earlier when we were in college, leaders had their own philosophy and ideology. But as the world started to change, the ideologies also started to change. In between, we saw leaders who can neither leave their ideologies and philosophy nor adapt to the fast-growing world. We can witness its effects now too. Today, everyone wants to be a leader but they lack experience. A youth who could be a leader tomorrow needs to be an executor today. They need to work with midline leaders, gain experience and then become a leader.

 Today even seniors must listen to the opinions of the youths. The leadership patterns might have changed over time but the capacity and the core motive to contribute is the same. 
So, a collaborative effort is required where there is an environment for youths to gain experience and be a leader and established leaders need to adapt to the fast-changing world. 

How can a leader prepare for the unknown?

We are in a democracy, so a leader by himself alone is not enough. The team also needs to share his values. Whether we talk about the country, community or organisation, the team needs to be strong and have values. The right person should be at the right place and should be given the right responsibility. The team backing the leader is crucial. And if the team also has similar qualities like the leader, then one need not be afraid of anything. If these things are taken into consideration, no problems are insurmountable. 

How can a leader effectively lead the team?

A leader is not a manager. Even when we talk about AAN or any other organization, a president, vice-president and secretary alone do not function, every member is entrusted with responsibilities. A leader is definitely there in the process of execution and policy-making but to lead the industry every member should be equally ready. I believe that for a team to function the managerial model is the best. 

When should a leader pass on the baton?

Every leader has a time frame to deliver to the community. So, during this time frame, it is advisable for a leader to accomplish three-four objectives which they have set. Once they meet their objectives they should pass on the leadership role to the next generation. It is not about accomplishing too many objectives; it is about the impact that you create. 
Even in AAN we are trying to reduce the president’s tenure to two years from three years. We believe that changes need to be brought in every two years and at the same time, give continuity to the good work of the previous leaders. 

What advice would you give to young emerging leaders? 

Do not look for self-interest only. Always remember your roots. You need to be clear in your objectives, plans and execution. Afterall where you come from, what you have learned, and what you can contribute to society are important. If you want to be a leader and if you do not consider these factors and values, then you are an opportunist and not a leader.