So, you’re pitching. You’ve analysed your chances of winning, you know you want it, you’ve jumped expertly through the required hoops and you’ve made it onto the final pitch list. Congratulations!

Now, for that final, crucial hurdle: winning…

Pitch-winning teams have at least one thing in common: leadership. This doesn’t mean one person making all the decisions or taking all the responsibility. It means a team of people who understand their roles, lead their individual teams, take responsibility for their decisions and have the discipline and drive it takes to win.

Pitch teams that demonstrate strong leadership skills exude it in all their behaviour as individuals and as a team, both internally and externally. They commit fully to the pitch – everything else comes second. They are brave and confident in their work and ability, unafraid to push for better. They are strong communicators, motivate and empower their juniors and support their peers. They are decisive and take responsibility for those decisions. They do not give up. They go above and beyond in delivering, both for their team and for the client.

These skills are applied at every stage of the pitch, from the first client contact to the post-pitch feedback.

Whether your role is to lead the whole team, the creative, the strategy, the logistics or simply to make sure the pitch room is perfect, they are all crucial to a successful pitch. On pitch-winning teams, whilst leadership does come from the top, those teams that display leadership at every level and at every stage are most successful.