James Burstall is a forward-thinking leader. He is passionate about ideas and talent. He trained as a journalist, then producer director. As Executive Producer, his credits include Mormon Love on Facebook, award-winning feature film An Englishman in New York starring John Hurt and Cynthia Nixon, and hit franchise House Hunters International. He is a voting member of BAFTA and a Fellow of the RSA. He speaks five languages and is learning Mandarin. He is the founder and CEO of Argonon, the US and UK-based global independent TV production group. He is also the author of, The Flexible Method: Prepare To Prosper In The Next Global Crisis (Nicholas Brealey, 2023).
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Before discussing The Flexible Method, here are a few general questions. First, was there a turning point (if not an epiphany) years ago that set you on the career course you continue to follow? Please explain.
I had been working as a journalist for many years before going into TV production as a producer/director. I worked for several production companies, spanning all genres from entertainment to documentaries. I loved doing all of them and realized that the best way to be able to carry on doing this was to start my own production company, which I duly launched in 2001.
Who and/or what have had the greatest impact on the development of your thoughts about crisis management and organizational resilience? How so?
Working at the coal face for 20 years running my own company. Over the years, I have experienced many crises: 9/11, the Credit Crunch in 2008 and Covid-19 in 2020. Each of them – and many other crises in between – taught us valuable lessons. And like a Swiss army knife, you need a different set of tools to deal with each specific situation.
Examining lessons of past crises shows us how to think constructively about the future. Though painful, crises can actually be good for us. I don’t say this lightly – I carry my war wounds!
From Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I love this quotation. I have worked for companies that didn’t make me feel valued or appreciated. In those environments, especially in the creative sector, it’s difficult to do your best work. When your boss doesn’t value, support or nurture you, you can’t do great work.
From Charles Kettering: “If you’ve always done it that way, you’re probably wrong.”
This reminds me of the Albert Einstein quote: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
You have to be willing to change or adapt if things are not working and try something else.
In your opinion, what are the defining characteristics of a workplace culture within which personal growth and professional development are most likely to thrive?
At Argonon we have established a culture of putting people first. This not only creates a happier and healthier place to work; it has significantly contributed to our success. It is the very backbone of who we are and I am convinced it can also make your organization more resilient.
You can’t fake a people-first culture. It isn’t something you can just tell your HR dept to implement using some miraculous new structure. Caring has to come from the top and filter down to create a culture of civility, cooperation and cheerfulness.
At Argonon feedback and listening are crucial components of our culture. We not only get useful insights into how we are doing; our team feels included, valued and respected.
Having a good day-to-day rapport with your staff helps, so get out there and talk to your team. Be seen on the “shop floor.” Communicate with your people and let them know what is happening in the company and why. This streak of humility goes a long way and is a critical component of The Flexible Method leadership.
Many companies try to create a breakout space to encourage co-operation and collaboration but in my experience the kitchen is the convivial heartbeat of the building. I try and head down there at least once a day to make a coffee or a soup and always end up chatting with people from every part of the group, from the receptionists, editors, producers, cleaners. You name it, we all muck in. It’s always fun and I learn a lot from those chats. I know younger members of the team enjoy spending a little face-to- face time with me too. It’s democratic, with no frills.
Being an inaccessible leader is never a good idea and it can lead to terrible decision-making.
There are a lot of macho CEOs out there and I’m sure we’ve all worked for toxic bosses. I have had my fair share and know how debilitating and unproductive this can be. It is not what the boss does or says that will stick with you; it’s how they make you feel – that is indelible.
Loyalty and respect are stronger binds than coercion and fear. Besides, does the world really need another tyrant?
I think it is important to encourage a sense of common social identity and belonging based on shared values of mutual support and achievement.
One thing you shouldn’t do in a crisis is drop your values. People did this with diversity or climate change efforts during the pandemic and it shows that the values were only skin deep – they didn’t really care about them.
Hybrid working has been another success story with us. We jumped ten years into the future during the pandemic. On the series House Hunters International we have senior leadership team working in New Jersey, South Carolina, Tampa, Boston and New York City. People are able to work where they were raised or where there was better housing or schooling, for a better quality of life. We showed we trusted and valued our team and they repaid us by staying with the company and maintaining or improving productivity.
Looking ahead (let’s say) 3-5 years, what do you think will be the greatest challenge that CEOs will face? Any advice?
Recession, war, political or social unrest, disruptive technology, disease or climate change are already looming on the horizon. In our increasingly uncertain world, one thing we can be sure of is that the next big crisis is only a matter of time. This means the time for preparing your organization is right now.
A flexible mindset is key: Stay open-minded, embrace change. In our industry, content will still be in demand but how it is consumed is changing – from Snapchat shows watched on cell phones on the bus to a Sensor Surround experience in IMAX theaters.
Our funding model has also changed: where it used to be all about advertising, it is increasingly about branded content and co-production in collaboration with other companies.
Another future shift is the importance of national and international collaboration. We now have the means to access people with different skills and different ways of working, which can be really valuable to cope with change.
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James cordially invites you to check out the resources at these two websites:
The Flexible Method link
The Argonon link