Leading Questions with Genevieve Tompkins – Goodstuff
Leading Questions
Goodstuff’s CEO, Gen Tompkins, is in the hot seat for our probing and quick-fire Leading Questions.
Genevieve Tompkins joined Goodstuff’s board in 2019 from a board position at The Kite Factory, and was appointed as Goodstuff’s first CEO in December 2024.
With an extensive background in planning and a passion for client service, she leads an almost 150-strong team. Her remit also includes driving global expansion and increasing the agency’s capabilities and martech integrations. She talks about Goodstuff’s framework for handling failure, how to inspire teams and who inspires her to wear pink every day.
Leadership
What principles guide your leadership approach?
Earlier this year I worked with a coach to identify my leadership values, and it has been one of the most valuable exercises I’ve ever done. Truly understanding what kind of leader you want to be through a set of personal values that makes decision-making easier, informs how you show up in meetings and beyond, and, importantly for me, ensures you are consistent and authentic for your teams – it’s something I’d encourage everyone to do regardless of their position.
My leadership values align with my personal values, which means they are congruous with how people experience me in any part of my life, which is important to me.
Integrity, clarity, authenticity, empathy and confidence are my leadership values. It is these values and my belief in others which act as the consistent principles guiding my leadership approach. Practising these specific values in the workplace encourages others to turn up authentically too, and I hope it sets a positive tone for our working environment.
How do you define success as a leader in today’s media landscape?
Our agency KPIs are aligned to Happy People, Great Work, Delighted Clients. And so, for me, a large part of how I would define success in today’s media landscape starts with keeping a motivated and engaged team during what is a period of significant change and uncertainty for the industry.
Part of this is about ensuring people feel clear on where the business is heading and understand the role they play in that journey. Not always easy, granted, and where future clarity is hard to arrive at, openness and constant dialogue really matter. Having a clear strategy can help here by ensuring teams understand why they are being asked to push in a particular direction or develop in new areas.
Of course, ultimate success is a healthy, thriving agency where, yes, talent feels rewarded and motivated, and we are winning in new business, client retention, and recognition for our work. That means continually evolving to meet clients’ future needs, not just responding to where the market is today, but anticipating where it’s going next. The leaders that win will have businesses that can balance innovation and adaptability with a strong, connected culture. They’ll also have incredible resilience, because these are tricky times.
People and Culture
How do you inspire your teams when uncertainty is the norm?
It’s about keeping people grounded in where we’re going, what we’re trying to achieve, and why it matters.
People need to understand not only the strategy, but also the role they personally play in driving success. When individuals feel connected to the outcome and empowered to contribute, uncertainty becomes something they can actively shape, rather than something that simply happens to them.
I also believe hierarchy can be a real barrier to inspiring people to do their best work. The more empowered people feel, the more naturally they lean in with ideas, solutions and ownership.
Encouraging entrepreneurial thinking and shared leadership responsibility creates an environment where teams become part of the solution together, rather than waiting for answers from the top. There is also a lot to be said for leaning into uncertainty – clear communication and openness, even without all the answers, build trust and transparency.
How do you handle failure, both personally and within your teams?
Failure is inevitable; it happens to us all at some point – it’s how we learn, and how we grow. I try to face into it openly and reflect honestly on the why, without blame.
It sounds obvious, but I try to take the time to understand what has happened and quickly put solutions in place to make sure I/we learn from it to improve. A really good framework for this is our values at Goodstuff that guide how we work with each other and our partners:
- Do The Right Thing and take responsibility/accountability
- Give A Shit about how people feel and allow space for it
- Be Inventive with solutions to learn and improve
- Keep it Simple with how you communicate
- Be Good in how you approach
- Move It On and don’t dwell on your mistakes
Keeping these company values at the forefront of our working practice means that we can remind ourselves and realign ourselves as and when needed.
Failure can take many forms, whether it’s a pitch loss, a typo, or not showing up fully when it was needed – having a set of values to hold each other to account makes the focus about being the best we can be for us all collectively, not about an individual’s mistake. Through a shared belief in doing the right thing, being inventive, and moving on, we allow failure to be a lesson in our commitment to each other.
AI, Innovation and Skills
What skills will define successful media leaders in the next decade?
No one has all the answers about what the future looks like, and strong leadership is less about having a perfectly curated vision and more about being clear on the role you want to play, how you’ll navigate uncertainty, and how you’ll bring people on the journey with you. I think there is a lot of power in admitting that you don’t know the answer yet, but we’ll figure it out together.
And frankly, regardless of where the industry ends up in ten years, the skill behind any successful leader will be a good understanding of people. Of course you need to be adaptable, comfortable learning new skills, and willing to evolve alongside your teams. But never underestimate the power of being unapologetically human: you can spot performative leadership a mile off. The best leaders are honest, transparent, and empathetic.
I am also certain that leaders who get too far from the work lack connection with their teams and clients. In an industry undergoing major technological advancements, it’s important that leaders get into the weeds to learn and experience them firsthand. Lead from the front and face the new (and, in some cases, the unnerving!).
What’s your advice for aspiring media leaders?
Don’t overthink it. Too often, women especially, think they must be able to do it all before taking the next step; sometimes you have to find the confidence within, back yourself, and grow into it. And surround yourself with cheerleaders. I’ve been lucky enough to have some incredible humans around me throughout my career who have seen something in me and encouraged me to take the big leaps.
Really do take time to understand your values and what matters to you and bring those values to life in your everyday interactions and decisions.
Stay curious and be open to learning new things. Leadership isn’t about following a set path or replicating what’s been done before. It’s okay to carve out your own way of doing things, even when it feels scary.
And finally, whatever you are doing, make sure you genuinely care about it; it makes it all far more enjoyable, and passion is infectious for those around you.
The Quick-fire Round
Which book would you make required reading for all media leaders?
Lean in, Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Which leader from TV, film, or literature most inspires you?
Elle Woods, of course, from Legally Blonde. She wears pink every day?! And also reminds us that “You must always have faith in people. But, most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself” and that “whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed.”
What’s your go-to source for inspiration when you need it — work or otherwise?
My garden. The second I step outside amongst the trees and listen to the birds, something magical happens, and I immediately feel calmer and able to think more clearly. I’m a total nature child at heart.
Media lunch or media breakfast meeting, and why?
Breakfast meetings are great for productivity, but media lunches are such fun. Can I have both?
Which media leader would you like to answer Leading Questions next?
Cressida Holmes-Smith, CEO, Lucky Generals
Leading Questions is published by The Media Leader every Friday.