Navigating the PR industry for over two decades, being frontrunners in launching leading luxury, lifestyle and beauty brands in India, canvassing launches, campaigns and collaborations for both global and Indian brands has given us an edge of extensive experience and intimate understanding of the PR challenges and solutions in the communication industry. Driven by excellence today we have built, fostered and celebrated a culture in the organisation that is positive, productive, inclusive and empowering for future leaders. The hybrid work environment is here to stay, with impact across the various stakeholder roles people play as leaders as employees or clients. The only way forward is to challenge convention around how we work, how we build our teams and how we shape future leaders.
Leading has always been a tenuous task, given the uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of this millennium. Thus, leaders tend to be apprehensive about how to act and what to say, how to be decisive yet collaborative; goal-oriented yet risk-aware; attentive but not micro-managers. Good leadership is a constant work in progress and a delicate interplay of various factors, with communication and leadership style standing tall as two indispensable pillars of success. In any organization, these aspects are intricately connected, impacting the team's performance, morale, and overall success. Leadership is not about personality; it’s about behaviour, your set of skills and abilities.?
Let's delve into the significance of time-honoured cornerstones of building a good communication leader.
- Tune in with empathy:?An essential aspect of good leader is the ability to listen. The art of active listening is the most crucial component of understanding and communicating with your team. As communication leaders our most important job is to be effective listeners. One must sharpen their professional listening skills with the team members. When leaders actively listen they gain valuable insights, build stronger relationships and are able to demonstrate genuine empathy. Having an open-door policy and approachable leader who listens, takes feedback and hears different viewpoints will always have people who keep coming back to them for advice. Empathy is a key aspect of emotional intelligence, and it is a powerful component of a healthy organizational culture. If a leader understands and shares another person's experiences and emotions, he/she can engage more effectively. Empathy increases trust, a sense that staff are valued and cared about. Whether in our personal relationships or part of an organization, we will be more likely to stay beside a leader when we feel like we are heard, appreciated, and cared about. Without empathy one cannot be connected, engaged effectively or empowered.?
- Communicate and coach:?Communication acts as a powerful tool for leaders. To build a tribe a leader must create a compelling vision and be able to communicate it effectively to their teammates. One must be a democratic leader and also be a coach…this way the skills you have as a leader and one that your team has/or a new point of view can be inclusive and marry well for a future forward/future relevant approach. If you chase excellence and always endeavour to do better as a leader, with your action you will be able to motivate and inspire people. The ability to rub off your passion, purpose, and vision to others helps establish the inspirational culture of your organization/brand. Also do note to inspire and be inspired is a continuous work in progress. Training self and team to upskill constantly is worth the investment.?
- Be future forward:?Effective team leaders know how to share leadership through delegation. Smart delegation can give team members responsibility and a taste of leadership themselves and help them to remain motivated. As a leader one must delegate with trust, transparency and openness to new ideas. I feel, along with giving opportunity, one must give guidance and space for growth of tomorrow’s leaders. At all times be agile, challenge yourself and your team on what needs to change about your culture to address your needs of the future. Keep faith in the future, keep evolving and you will continue to grow together.
