Leading Questions with Lee Isaacs – Just Eat
Leading Questions
Our Future Media Leader of the Year and Just Eat Takeaway’s senior media manager for northern and southern Europe answers our probing and quick-fire Leading Questions.
The judges for The Media Leader Awards 2025 said of Just Eat’s Lee Isaacs: “He embodies the future of media leadership by demonstrating that today’s most influential leaders don’t just shape campaigns, they shape culture.
“His ability to drive business-wide change and elevate underrepresented voices makes him a standout leader for the future.”
We ask him about his leadership approach, how he uses AI and the skills required to define successful media leaders in the next decade.
Leadership
What are the principles that guide your leadership approach?
My leadership approach is built on three core pillars: building trust, creating alignment, and developing the team. I strive to foster an environment where it is safe to fail, whilst ensuring everyone is aligned behind the long-term goals rather than simply ticking off tasks.
By prioritising real-time, peer-to-peer learning over formal training, it empowers teams to quickly bridge knowledge gaps. This combination creates the competence and confidence required to take bold, calculated risks.
How do you define success as a leader in today’s media landscape?
For me, a successful leader is someone who can pivot quickly to meet new demands but stays grounded in their principles. It’s about embracing the forever-changing landscape while maintaining a consistent, supportive culture.
If I am adapting to the market whilst simultaneously inspiring those around me to do their best work, that is success.
People and Culture
What’s your approach to developing future leaders within your organisation?
My approach is to raise potential leaders through a combination of recognition, rigorous challenge and constant feedback. I encourage them to stretch their capabilities through complex assignments, ensuring they are never held back from learning opportunities.
Crucially, this is not about putting them on a pedestal, but rather ensuring they know they have a loyal supporter to back them up as they navigate their leadership journey.
How do you handle failure, both personally and within your teams?
I look at failure as a lesson to build on, rather than a reason to stop trying. My approach is to encourage experimentation within safe guardrails, allowing us to test what sticks without catastrophic risk.
By removing the fear of failure, we unlock the freedom to innovate and move the business forward.
AI, Innovation and Skills
How is AI changing the way you lead and make decisions?
AI is changing how I lead by accelerating and improving the research and evaluation stages. While it is excellent for weighing up options, the final decision always requires a human filter.
I believe that experience, business context, and customer understanding are things AI cannot fully replicate, so I ensure that the human perspective always decides.
What skills will define successful media leaders in the next decade?
Honestly, I think the core skills will stay consistent, but the pace of execution will change dramatically. We will need to be even more hyper-efficient in adopting tech and using data to make rapid decisions.
However, the human element will become even more important for cutting through the noise and differentiating yourself. Rather than leaning entirely on algorithms, future leaders must rely on their ability to experiment and design innovative solutions to business challenges.
The Quick-fire Round
Which book would you make required reading for all media leaders?
‘The Let Them Theory’ by Mel Robbins – I’ve put the teachings to good use, but can be taken with a pinch of salt too!
Which leader from TV, film, or literature most inspires you?
Ritchie Tozer (played by Olly Alexander) from the TV show ‘It’s a Sin’ – lived life to the fullest with no regrets.
What’s your go-to source for inspiration when you need it? Work or otherwise?
Travelling – getting out there to meet new people and experience diverse cultures.
Media lunch or media breakfast meeting, and why?
Lunch – less restrictive on time and better relationship building. Also, better food options!
Which media leader would you like to answer leading questions next?
WPP Media’s Victoria Appleby
If you’d like to answer our Leading Questions, drop me a line at [email protected]