Learning, listening and respect are among the basic principles of leadership
Imagine a community where each woman is worth ten cows. She can only have one husband, but a man can have as many women as he wants. The male group is responsible for security and animals, while women take care of the house and children. Marcia Esteves, CEO and partner of LewLara\TBWA, has seen the semi-indigenous Maasai tribe in southern Kenya, Africa, up close. But before judging beliefs, customs and rituals, she invites people to understand the habits of an ancient culture.
frightening when compared to our culture, but all points of view make sense. Regardless of whether you agree or not, all differences must be respected, teaches one of the ten women recognized by PROPMARK as outstanding female leaders in the Brazilian communication market.
Instead of questioning, Marcia suggests alternatives capable of improving people’s lives. One of them is to listen in order to make decisions for the benefit of the community. When we learn to respect and understand that differences only build, we start listening more than talking. This is the basic principle of leadership, defines the executive, who should be the first woman to preside over the Brazilian Association of Advertising Agencies (Abap), sworn in at the end of this month of March.
The look at the differences was launched at the age of 15, in an exchange program in Australia. And it didn’t close anymore. Between studies and the beginning of her professional life, Marcia spent time in Italy, Spain and the United States. When I started, women barely entered creation. Today, we have few creative ones, but we do, she admits. She celebrates evolution, but she knows that the work ahead takes time because, if it is forced, it is not sustainable, it is alert.
The gap reflects a facet perversely embedded in the history of Brazil, pariah in the education of its people. For many years, we under-trained women for certain tasks. You have to make room in schools, universities, start from the base, observes Marcia.
Investing in people is the most rewarding challenge offered by advertising. Tools and technologies arrive all the time, forming an ecosystem at the service of transforming society. Every day we have the possibility of talking to Brazil, we need to think about doing this in the best way, generating results for the brands, comments Marcia, grateful for the privilege of being able to know the richness of different regions.
This strength gains power when it encounters briefings that challenge the status quo and encourage collaborative work. These are proposals that go beyond execution. They allow you to find answers and creative solutions. The difference between an execute versus help me solve a problem is impressive, which brings everyone to the idea, he proves.
Of the emblematic cases that she helped build over a 20-year career, the executive highlights the integrated work of brunette Xuxa; The Vengeance Dinner, made for Reclame Aqui; the historical reparation signed in the action The actual color of the Ax; the idea that turned a Volvo dealership into a bike shop for World Car Free Day; the platform Adote um udio, by Fundao Dorina Nowill; and the accessibility raised in the campaign We are 10 millioncreated for Banco do Brasil.
Marcia took on her first presidency at the age of 34 at Gray Brasil, in 2017. PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, M. Dias Branco, XP Investimentos, Netflix, Camil, Omint and Devassa beer are among the brands already served at Leo Burnett Tailor Made , Wunderman, Rapp and in his current role at LewLara\TBWA.
In addition to awards won in Brazil and abroad, he was included in the list of the ten most admired professionals at agencies in 2020 and 2022 by Scopen; Advertising Icon 2019 by the Business Leaders Group (Lide); won the 2019 Affonso Serra Award, granted by the Grupo de Clientes e Negócios; and is part of the Marketing Hall of Fame, of the Brazilian Academy of Marketing (Abramark).
