Julia Tradd, Executive Director of Physical Production at EndemolShine Boomdog, spoke with PRODU about the challenge of leading teams of over 700 people, where multiple projects converge simultaneously at various stages of development. With more than 26 years of experience, Tradd highlighted values such as empathy, organization, flexibility, and respect as pillars of leadership that enable the building of efficient and creative teams. However, the determining factor for success in large productions is ensuring that these teams operate with great unity.
Tradd describes her role as the intermediary between operations, the executive team, and the client. It’s a position where she builds alliances with clients and then translates those alliances to the team. This involves constant decision-making and mediation in high-pressure, demanding environments.
CONTAINMENT AND EMPATHY LEADERSHIP
Among the key insights she revealed was a practice that might not seem essential on a film set: empathy. This quality allows a team to become like family. In this way, people give their best and are fully committed. Furthermore, it transforms the workspace into a safe, welcoming environment where everyone wants to be.
“I exercise a very supportive leadership style. In a very stressful, high-pressure environment, to which a lot of time is dedicated, I try to support and guide my team. I listen to them, understand what they are going through, and learn a little about their personal lives,” explained Tradd, who affirmed that for her it is a privilege to work with the people she encounters every day.
This relationship building allows Tradd to trust his team and delegate tasks.
THE CULTURE OF ERROR AS LEARNING
Another key is to encourage the entire team (including herself) to recognize that making mistakes is part of the learning process. “We have to be humble enough to understand that we make mistakes and that we need to move on. And identify the risk so we can handle it differently next time.”
For Julia Tradd, building trust with her team allows her to develop new processes and innovate. She explained that this is a core practice in EndemolShine Boomdog’s corporate culture, and stated that when she joined the company, its leadership style was different. She affirms that her time at the company has opened doors for her and provided opportunities for both professional and personal growth.
Acknowledging a mistake is not only a step toward learning, but also toward identifying problems, the solutions to which will allow for more efficient work. Furthermore, this confidence empowers the team to take risks and grow.
He added that building trust is also vital to ensuring transparent communication. “If my team hides things from me, we’re lost,” he added. He also commented that the same trust and communication must be built with the client.
ONE PILLAR: PROCESSES AND ORDER
He explained the importance of having clear processes that allow for anticipating future problems. He clarified that careful planning is vital.
“There is a difference between knowing how to react to solve an unforeseen problem, and working under a process that allows you to anticipate problems. Everything that can be prepared and planned guarantees the success of the project.”
This order is very important to Tradd because it allows for prioritization. This makes it possible to determine what is urgent and what needs to be resolved. It’s about having sound judgment when managing priorities.
It’s also very important to lead by example. This requires a significant investment of time and personal sacrifice. “It’s important to be present. To set an example of calm, hard work, and dedication. If you don’t demonstrate the passion required for the job, it’s very difficult to convince people.”
In this way, Tradd explained, the commitment is built that makes such a difficult job as audiovisual production possible. “I’m not a boss who just delegates tasks. I also delegate responsibility so that my team can shine and have their space,” she stated, adding that if her team shines, she shines with them.
LOWER YOUR EGO
He commented that the problem with working in television is ego. “If you don’t know how to control it, it will consume you. You shouldn’t always believe your own hype. You have to use your ego constructively, to make decisions and empower yourself. That’s why I always tell young people: Never get a big head, always strive for excellence.”
AGEISM IN THE AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY
She concluded by saying that she hasn’t experienced age discrimination in the audiovisual industry, as experience, and the judgment gained from it, is a highly valued asset. “In this industry, you have to have been through many situations, many operational and corporate moments, many clients and scenarios. This career is about experience, and age also brings that.”
He commented that, although one should always be open to learning, some things never change. Calmness and the ability to tackle a problem often come from experience.
However, we shouldn’t be afraid to pass on that experience and knowledge to new generations. “It’s our obligation to educate people and create new talent. You don’t learn everything you need to know about television in school,” the executive commented.
Looking to the future, Tradd emphasizes that innovation, such as the integration of Artificial Intelligence into productions, must go hand in hand with human judgment. Ultimately, his vision of leadership is not merely technical, but profoundly human, where success is measured not only on screen, but also by the strength of the bonds forged behind the scenes.