Why TBWA\India CEO Draws Leadership Lessons from the Mountains

With over 25 years of industry experience and recognition as one of India's 'Top 20 Most Influential People in Advertising’, Govind Pandey has been steering TBWA\India through transformation in line with the global network's philosophy of ‘Disruption®’ while building meaningful partnerships with the country’s most ambitious brands.

On top of his years of experience, Govind puts his success in leadership positions down to his diverse interests outside of work: mountaineering, long-distance cycling and spirituality.

In this interview with LBB’s Sunna Coleman, Govind opens up about why great leaders today need to be able to orchestrate rather than command, and shares the unexpected business lessons he has taken from his various hobbies.

LBB> What do you believe are the qualities that make someone an effective leader in a creative industry?

Govind> An effective leader in a creative industry needs to hold two paradoxes together: the discipline of clarity and the freedom of chaos. You have to protect ideas while also demanding rigour — not only in how ideas are shaped but in how they deliver results.

Empathy, curiosity, and courage are non-negotiable. People don’t just follow competence — they follow someone who makes them braver, sharper, and more alive in their craft, while never losing sight of the responsibility to turn creativity into real-world impact.

LBB> How do you balance creativity with the business realities of advertising?

Govind> By refusing to see them as opposites. Creativity is the business reality of advertising — without breakthrough ideas, the spreadsheets collapse. But the reverse is also true: unless ideas are tethered to client growth, they’re indulgences. I try to sit at the bridge, ensuring creativity serves commerce, and commerce creates the conditions for creativity to flourish.

LBB> Your interests include mountaineering, long-distance cycling and spirituality. Can you tell us about these and how they influence your work and vice versa? What lessons have you taken from these practices?

Govind> Mountains teach humility. Cycling teaches endurance. Spirituality teaches presence. All three remind me that leadership is less about conquest and more about alignment — with terrain, with rhythm, with truth. In work, this translates to patience in the climb, stamina through the grind, and clarity in moments of decision.

LBB> Can you share a moment when your leadership was tested, and how you navigated it?

Govind> Many years back when I took charge of a team that had lost faith in itself, the mood was broken — hearts were shattered, creative energy was drained. I knew I couldn’t fix it overnight. So I over-invested in presence: sitting with people, giving clients more than they expected, and slowly building momentum. It taught me that leadership is often less about heroic speeches and more about showing up, consistently, until belief returns.

LBB> What advice would you give to young leaders in an industry that often demands both speed and originality?

Govind> Protect your signal. Don’t confuse speed with frenzy. Move fast, yes — but don’t move thoughtlessly. Originality doesn’t come from chasing trendy buzzwords and soundbites, it comes from knowing yourself, your craft, and the culture deeply. If you stay grounded in that, you can move quickly without being swept away.

LBB> What leadership lessons have stood the test of time, regardless of how technology or trends have changed?

Govind> Listen more than you speak. Stand by your people in tough times. Don’t fall in love with your own ideas — fall in love with the problem you’re solving. And never mistake activity for progress. These principles worked before AI and they’ll work long after it.

LBB> How do you see the role of leadership evolving in the next decade?

Govind> Leadership is shifting from command to orchestration. From being the voice in the room to being the one who creates the room where many voices can play in harmony. As technology accelerates, leaders will need to be more human, not less — more about sense-making, emotional clarity, and cultural navigation.

LBB> If you could pass on one core philosophy from your journey, what would it be?

Govind> Never outsource your presence. Whether in a meeting, a mountain, or a moment of silence — show up fully. When you are present, people feel it, ideas sharpen, and the future becomes possible.