Over the past year, I’ve noticed a recurring theme in conversations with senior communications professionals. More and more candidates are telling me the same thing: they enjoy client counsel, campaign delivery, team leadership and strategic advisory work, but they don’t particularly enjoy business development. In fact, some actively want to move away from it.

For many, this creates a dilemma. As people progress into senior roles, there’s often an assumption that business development becomes an unavoidable part of the job. The higher you climb, the more you're expected to bring in revenue, build networks, attend events, and contribute to agency growth. But what happens if your strengths lie elsewhere? Can someone still have a successful senior agency career if they’re exceptional at the work itself, rather than winning it?

Traditionally, communications agencies have always relied on a mix of skills. Some leaders built their reputation through new business success, while others became indispensable because of their client relationships, sector expertise, or ability to deliver outstanding campaigns. The best agencies often had room for both. But the reality of today's market is making that balance harder to maintain.

The UK communications sector has faced significant challenges over the past few years. Budgets are under pressure, procurement processes are becoming more complex, and clients are taking longer to make decisions. Quick-turnaround opportunities that once kept agency pipelines moving seem increasingly rare. Many agency leaders I've spoken to describe a market where opportunities are taking months rather than weeks to convert, while competition for every brief continues to intensify.

Against that backdrop, it's understandable why business development has become such a priority. When growth is harder to achieve, everyone is expected to contribute. The days of a dedicated new business team carrying the entire burden are becoming less common, particularly in smaller and mid-sized agencies where every senior leader has a role to play in generating opportunities and maintaining visibility in the market. This is where I think the conversation becomes more nuanced.

Should every senior communications professional be expected to excel at business development? Or are we at risk of overlooking talented leaders whose value comes from somewhere else?

The skills required to win new business aren't necessarily the same skills required to retain clients, lead teams, manage complex stakeholder relationships, or deliver high-impact campaigns. Some people thrive in pitch environments and naturally enjoy networking, prospecting and selling. Others build trust through deep expertise, strategic thinking and exceptional client service. Both skill sets are valuable, but they aren't always found in the same person.

Yet in a tougher economy, agencies don't always have the luxury of separating those responsibilities. For smaller firms in particular, business development has become an all-hands-on-deck activity. When margins are tight and growth is harder to find, senior leaders often need to wear multiple hats. Visibility in the market matters. Relationships matter. Every conversation has the potential to become an opportunity. In that environment, it can be difficult to justify a senior hire who has little interest in contributing to growth, regardless of how strong they are operationally.

Larger agencies may offer a different model. With bigger client portfolios, more established brands and dedicated growth functions, there can sometimes be greater scope for senior specialists who focus primarily on client leadership, sector expertise or campaign delivery. That's not to say business development disappears entirely, but the expectation is often different. Bringing in new opportunities may be viewed as a shared responsibility rather than the defining measure of seniority.

Perhaps the bigger question is whether we've become too quick to equate leadership with sales ability. The best client leaders often drive growth indirectly. They retain clients. They grow accounts. They build trust that leads to referrals. They mentor teams and strengthen agency reputation through the quality of their work. While that contribution may not always show up as a headline new business win, it can be just as valuable to long-term agency success.

At the same time, we can't ignore the realities of the current market. Agencies need growth to survive. Revenue generation is everyone's concern. The challenge is finding a way to recognise different routes to commercial impact rather than assuming every senior professional must contribute in exactly the same way.

So perhaps the question isn't whether senior communications leaders should do business development. It's whether agencies are creating enough room for different types of leadership. Because if we only reward those who win the work, what happens to the people who are exceptional at delivering it? And in an industry built on relationships, reputation and results, are we in danger of undervaluing some of the very skills that keep clients coming back in the first place?

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