Several weeks ago I was perusing the Puget Sound Business Journal and came across an article by Lynn Parker titled, “How to lead effectively and not just manage.” The headline immediately caught my attention, and as I read the article, which was orientated toward people running small businesses, I could not help but think how applicable the points are for leaders of PR or marketing departments.
Lynn asserts that good management is, “the act of keeping your head down and making sure things run smoothly. Leading, on the other head, is looking out…and doing something about what you see.”
She goes on to share five tips and explains that leaders anticipate what might happen and plan for it. Leaders engage team members and solicit ideas from them. Leaders innovate looking for new ways to solve problems, they ask their customers questions and they talk with their peers.
Clearly, strong account managers or PR department leads need to exhibit these leadership skills and abilities as they can anticipate changes in their industry, understand the competitive landscape, internalize customers’ needs and wants, develop plans and motivate and mobilize their teams.
If you have a few minutes and are in a marketing or public relations leadership role, I’d encourage you to read this article. It can be found here on the Puget Sound Business Journal’s website.