The Courage to Challenge

Why bravery is the cornerstone of modern client-agency success

A creative director once said, “If an idea doesn’t scare you a bit, it’s probably not bold enough”.

As the marketing glitterati recede from the beaches of Cannes after another Lions creative award fest, we are again reminded that success doesn’t come from playing it safe. The most powerful client-agency partnerships aren’t built on deference or blind agreement — they’re fueled by something far more vital: courage.

Courage to push boundaries. Courage to question the brief. Courage to propose something risky. And above all, the courage to challenge each other — respectfully, constructively, and with shared intent.

A shift in expectations

At Cannes Lions 2025, leaders from both client and agency worlds were asked a deceptively simple question in this article from LLB: What’s the one thing you most expect from your partners today? Their answers revealed a clear trend. While technical capabilities, strategy and creativity still matter deeply, it’s mutual understanding, openness and bravery that increasingly define great partnerships.

Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer at Edelman, referenced AXA’s award-winning “Three Words” campaign as a prime example. More than just good creative, it represented a shift in thinking — a willingness to reframe a traditionally dry category and tackle it with humanity and originality. This kind of transformational work doesn’t emerge from a relationship where one side simply nods along. It comes from challenge — the act of daring to question, rethink, and evolve.

The role of ‘challenge’ in building better teams

Aprais has studied over 28,000 client-agency evaluations worldwide, analysing not just performance, but the human behaviours that underpin it. One of the seven key behaviours we measure is challenge, and our data shows it plays an outsized role in successful teams.

Challenge, by our definition, means using initiative to push back when needed, questioning the status quo, and actively seeking better ways to achieve results. It’s not about conflict — in fact, it’s the opposite. When done right, challenge creates stronger alignment, sharper thinking, and bolder ideas.

• The best agencies score 39 points higher than the weakest on challenge.
• The most effective marketers score 33 points higher than their lower-performing peers.

These gaps represent enormous potential. They suggest that if more teams fostered an environment where challenge could thrive, the overall quality of work and partnership would rise significantly.

Why courage is the enabler

Challenge doesn’t just happen. It requires the right environment. People only challenge one another when they feel safe to do so — when the relationship is built on mutual respect, trust, and a shared belief that feedback and dissent are signs of engagement, not insubordination.

Courage, then, becomes the linchpin. In order for challenge to thrive, individuals need the confidence to speak up, and teams need the psychological safety to receive it openly.

Unfortunately, many B2B relationships still operate under outdated dynamics. In some organisations, agencies feel like vendors rather than partners. In others, marketers may resist internal criticism for fear of losing face. These dynamics stifle innovation. They silence the people closest to the problem. And they discourage the very behaviour that could spark the next breakthrough idea.

What courage looks like in practice

Courage isn’t just a lofty concept. In the real world of client-agency relationships, it shows up in everyday interactions. For example:

• A strategist respectfully questioning whether the brief aligns with the actual business challenge.
• A creative team pitching an unconventional idea knowing it may not be immediately comfortable.
• A marketer defending that idea internally — not because it’s easy, but because it’s right.
• An account lead admitting when something isn’t working and suggesting a bold course correction.

These behaviours don’t just create better campaigns — they create better, more productive relationships.

Moving beyond safe

It’s natural for organisations to lean toward safe choices. Safe is predictable. Safe feels less risky. But “safe” also leads to sameness — and often, to stagnation.

Aprais’ extensive analysis has shown that the top-performing teams — those who consistently achieve better results and higher satisfaction — are the ones who embrace challenge. In fact, when teams make challenge a priority, they also tend to improve across other behavioural dimensions like trust, resilience, and functional delivery.

Encouragingly, challenge scores can improve rapidly. Our data shows measurable improvement can happen in as little as 18 months when teams engage in regular, structured evaluations. That’s not a theory — it’s a proven path to transformation.

Creating the conditions for courage

To enable more courageous thinking and behaviour, both sides of the partnership have a role to play.

Agencies can:

• Show initiative by anticipating client needs and identifying growth opportunities.
• Bring innovative thinking to both strategy and execution.
• Challenge conventional thinking — respectfully — with well-supported insights.
• Stay ahead of market trends to guide clients toward future-facing solutions.

Marketers can:

• Stay open to bold, unconventional ideas.
• Resist the pull of the “safe” option when better value lies in a riskier path.
• Defend agency thinking within their own organisations.
• Welcome constructive criticism and act on it where necessary.

Challenge, in this sense, is not an act of defiance — it’s an act of commitment. A signal that both parties care enough to push for better.

Dare to do more

In a world where differentiation is hard to come by, courage is a competitive advantage. The most successful client-agency teams aren’t just collaborative — they’re brave. They dare to question, to disrupt, and to innovate.

Without courage, challenge cannot thrive. And without challenge, truly great work cannot happen.

So the question for every marketing team and every agency is simple: Are we brave enough to challenge each other — and ourselves — in pursuit of better?