Why Leadership Is Vital to Public Relations
No matter what environment you work in, whether it be in corporate communications or at an agency, public relations professionals should practice good leadership skills when working with executives, media, or employees. Top leaders around the world reported the top 5 skills that have helped them grow into the professionals they are today.
Top 5 Skills
According to a Harvard Business Review study, 195 global leaders were asked to rate 75 qualities of leadership from most to least important. The top five competencies included the following:
Leaders have high ethical and moral standards.
Leaders provide goals and objectives with loose guidelines or restrictions.
Leaders are able to clearly communicate expectations.
Leaders have the flexibility to change options.
Leaders are committed to ongoing training and development.
These competencies create a strong culture of ethics, organization, growth, learning and belonging. They also help PR professionals build bridges between different sectors of the business. Why does this matter in public relations?
Get a Seat at the Table
Successful public relations professionals exhibit these competencies when working with executives or leading their own team. It is important to maintain a relationship with executives and other areas of the organization to understand the goals and objectives of the company, and how to apply those in their own communications strategy. Getting a seat at the table will also help PR professionals provide ethical counsel to executives and their teams, which will benefit the organization as a whole.
In a recent podcast interview, Chris Jones, FanDuel’s VP of Corporate Communications, stresses the importance of earning a seat at the table from the beginning. He explains that this leads to dominating the marketplace and leading successful PR teams within an organization. By being a part of the conversation from the beginning, Jones exercises the competencies of providing goals and objectives and clearly communicating expectations. His leadership within the organization and among the communications team fosters a proactive and strategic approach to public relations.
You can listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Leadership During Times of Crisis
When leading teams and campaigns, public relations managers must exhibit strong leadership competencies in order to keep their team motivated, creative, organized, and inspired. In times of crisis, teams look to leaders to be confident and decisive. Similarly, when it comes to media, flexibility and speed from leaders is crucial to avoiding misinformation. PR leaders must be proactive and prepare for the worst in case they have to act fast. A prime example of this comes from 2018, when the most unthinkable happened at KFC: the restaurant chain ran out of chicken in their UK locations. In order to soften the blow of the chicken shortage scandal, KFC’s PR team acted fast in issuing a humorous multi-platform apology campaign. KFC’s campaign was a success because of excellent leadership, decisiveness from the team, and maintaining an ethical standard of being transparent with customers about the crisis.
After successful campaigns like this, PR managers must continue to nurture growth among team members. Leaders can do this by showing gratitude and appreciation for team members by advocating for them, further fostering a trusting relationship. Leaders must also reflect on their own accomplishments and mistakes, and be open to criticism and new ideas.
Whether you are an entry-level PR professional or a seasoned executive, sharpening your leadership skills will only help you, your team and your organization. As public relations professionals, we should always strive to hold ourselves and others to a higher ethical and professional standard, which can be achieved through strong leadership skills.
About Amelia
Amelia Wampler is a senior at Grand Valley State University, graduating in May of 2022, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with minors in Marketing and Spanish. She is currently a media relations intern for American Family Insurance and plays for the GVSU women's soccer team. She is a former Programming Director and current Account Associate of GrandPR. In her free time, she loves hiking, rock climbing, and anything outdoors.