The art of timing in leadership

Fishpac approached us before opening their doors in Barcelona, Spain with a clear ask. We were tasked with defining their identity, packaging, digital presence, and the environmental graphics to bring the full brand to life.

By this stage, my role as a creative director had started maturing. Bringing in an additional designer to support our core team, leading brand strategy, client communications, and overseeing budgets so our creatives had the clarity to focus on the work.

Up to that point, I understood how to guide creative direction through reviews, but this launch taught me the difference between micromanagement and genuine support.

When a team tells you they have things under control, real leadership means honoring their autonomy and giving them space to execute. But during a high-stakes push, when a massive volume of photo editing threatened to exhaust our bandwidth, I recognized the exact moment to step back into the tools. Jumping into the files to handle that asset batch wasn’t about taking over, it was about protecting my team’s energy when they needed it most.

The launch was a resounding success. The identity, social campaign, and interior graphics helped establish a distinct presence in Barcelona that carried the restaurant through years of operation, including navigating the pandemic.

Looking back, Fishpac proved that great creative direction requires emotional intelligence: knowing when your team needs your eyes on the horizon, and having the awareness to recognize when they need your hands alongside theirs.