It’s been more than a minute, but I’m back with another strategic thought. I’m going to try to do these every Friday on something that’s trending for the Communications Industry, or perhaps a topic that I see a lot of people engaging with. Today, we’re talking about today about leveraging leadership principles for communications.
And that’s where we’re at today. I’ve seen a lot of stories and articles about leadership. Everything from how to be a good leader, to ways to lead small teams, to ways that leaders can bring their teams together.
In fact, I’m in the middle of reading Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, so the timing works our perfectly.
As you’d expect, I tend to look at everything through a communications lens, so as I’ve been reading these articles, and Brené’s book, I’ve been thinking about how PR and Communications pros can step up and lead –
Whether that’s leading their own teams, leading for their clients, or leading in the industry. I took some of the underlying themes from each of these articles – and just about all of them have the same underlying themes – and I thought I’d provide some context for communicators on how we can use these themes.
Leveraging leadership principles for communications
Create a set of clear goals
You’re right, there’s nothing earth shattering about this piece of advice. This is true for any strategic plan, but for a very specific reason, especially for communications. And it’s all about value and success.
The value of what we can deliver as communicators hinges on the expectations our clients or organizations have of the work we’re doing.
Every campaign or client is different, which means the goals that determine success vary. If we can’t create clear goals and communicate those goals to stakeholders, we’re limiting our chances of achieving success for those efforts.
So, whether you’re working on a specific campaign or with a specific client, it breaks down into three areas:
- Clearly outline the goals of those efforts – know what success looks like.
- Tie those goals to company goals so you can show that you’re helping to drive organizational success.
- And clear communicate those goals to stakeholders so they understand the value you’re bringing forward.
Consider your own personal values and what drives you
I really like this piece of advice. I just read another article about quiet quitting – that will have to be another video – but one of those underlying themes is not being passionate about the work you’re doing.
For communicators, our job is to tell stories in a way that resonates with audiences. If we aren’t passionate about the work we’re doing, how can we expect to be passionate about the stories we’re telling?
I’m not saying you need to be passionate about every product or service you represent. What I AM saying is that you need to find a way to connect the dots from your passions to the work you’re doing.
So, figure out what drives you and what gets you going in the morning, and connect that motivation to the work you’re doing and your profession.
Adapt your leadership style
Communicators must be some of the best adaptors of any field. Our whole job is to understand who we’re talking to and how to best communicate with that specific group at that specific time with that specific message.
Adapting is what we do.
And that’s true of the teams we lead. You’ll find some of the most diverse people on communications teams, and that means communications leaders need to adapt how they engage and motivate every member of the team.
Which is the same principle as tailoring your message to a specific audience.
The biggest takeaway for me with this is that we need to remember – it’s not about me or you specifically. We need to put the ego aside for a minute, and think about how we need to adapt to reach whatever goal we’ve put in front of our teams.
Embrace accountability
Holding yourself and others accountable is one of the areas leaders seem to fall short the most. In my experience, it’s also where a lot of communications campaigns and teams fall short.
And it’s not easy – we operate in a space that is always changes and evolving. Audience expectations shift, how we need to reach them changes, and the messaging we use must evolve.
But that doesn’t mean we can fall short in holding ourselves accountable.
For agencies and solo practitioners, this goes back to creating a clear set of goals and using those to measure your success. Be sure to set goals that are attainable – use that SMART Goals method you hear so much about, and pay close attention to the “attainable” part!
For leaders, first make sure you’re holding yourself accountable to your teams. And then, make sure you’re holding your teams accountable to the goals that have been established, while supporting them in reaching those goals.
I still believe communicators have an amazing opportunity to step up as strategic leaders with the organizations we work, the groups we operate within, and the teams we are honored to lead.
Start combining these leadership themes with our industry and we’ll be well on our way.
And there’s your strategic thought on how to leverage leadership principles for communications. We’ll see you back again soon, and be sure to check out other strategic thoughts and content at TCStrategic.com.
More Strategic Thoughts
Here are some recent posts to help as you create your Strategic Communications campaigns, including the importance of having a strategic communications plan:
– 3 Thing You MUST Consider During A Crisis Not Directly Impacting Your
– Do I Really Need A Strategic Communications Plan?
– Tips For Managing Unethical Communications Requests
– A Meaningful Message, Or Pandering Without Purpose
– Pitching Media Like The Pros
– Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of Effective
– Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
