Jim Kouzes has been studying leadership trends for more than
three decades. Kouzes, the best-selling author of "The Leadership
Challenge (along with co-author Bruce Posner), is chairman emeritus
of The Tom Peters Company, which specializes in leadership
development at all levels. He is scheduled to speak at the
Counselors Academy annual conference in May in Orlando (May 16-18),
where he will share his insights on how to create an "authentic,
personal leadership brand." PR NEWS caught up with Kouzes to talk
about leadership fundamentals and how they affect communications
execs.
PRN: What are some of the most difficult hurdles for
senior PR execs to overcome to become a better leader?
Kouzes: Personal credibility is the foundation of
leadership. In order for PR pros to get their messages across to
people they report to in the firm, associates or clients, they have
to be believed personally. So the first challenge for a leader is
to establish and maintain personal credibility at all times. That
could mean, for example, that I may have to articulate more clearly
what my values and beliefs are. Credibility behaviorally is do what
you say you will do: you have to be clear about what you say and
then you have to follow through on it.
PRN: What are some of the common mistakes PR execs make
that kill their chances of being looked upon as a leader?
Kouzes: The first challenge is to establish and maintain
personal credibility. The second challenge is to be able to
articulate a point of view of the future that is compelling to
others and makes them want to go with the person towards that
future. We find in our research that the most difficult practice of
leadership is to articulate a vision of the future and to enlist
others in it.
PRN: So what are some of the things PR execs can do to
help them articulate that vision?
Kouzes: Data shows that commitment is the highest when
people share the values of the firm they're in. If I'm a senior
partner managing a [PR department] and I want to make sure people
stay committed, the first thing I have to do is see that there's
some fit between my personal values and the organization's values.
If [PR pros] don't see that, they are more likely to leave. If they
see a fit, they are more likely to stay. But you can't impose
values from the top -- people need to see a fit between their
values and the organization's values, so one of the tasks of a
leader is that he or she must constantly interact with associates
and clients. It's not just about today or tomorrow but where you're
headed. You need to create value long-term and make sure the
benefit is intrinsic - how it will help people set goals -- and not
just extrinsic, which is how much money we're going to make.
PRN: What are a few things PR execs can do under the
radar that, over time, may help them be seen as change agents?
Kouzes: The most important thing a leader can do that
links the employees' commitment to the profitability of the firm
(and the ability to recover from a crisis) is whether people in the
firm see their leaders as role models. Much of role modeling is
very subtle; the obvious one is follow-through and put it into
action whatever it is you said you would do. Another way is to be
consistent in values by the questions you ask. If I say I'm about
innovation, one of the questions I can constantly ask people is:
"What have you done that's new and interesting?" I'm not just
asking "Are you on budget?" and "Are we meeting the client's
expectations?"
Another thing leaders have at their disposal are the stories
they tell, which often become folklore on which companies are
built. So I can choose to tell stories that are specific to the
values and beliefs of our organization. It's not like "Survivor,"
where it's the last person who matters. Survival depends on all of
us and we'll all end up with a million dollars when this thing
ends.
Contact: Jim Kouzes, [email protected].