To: Incoming Account Manager

From: Heather Tidwell, Founder and President of HTC

Subject: Best Practices in Public Relations Leadership and Management
Date: April 24, 2017

Executive Summary
HT Communications (HTC) serves as a global leader in the public relations
industry. Focusing on events, digital strategies and video, HTC prides itself of
of the successful results it has accumulated since its opening in January
2013. As a public relations agency, we serve numerous clients that put their
trust in us to promote their product in the best way possible. In order to
produce positive results from our clients requests, we must begin with the
leadership at HTC.
Among the hierarchy of levels at HTC sits the account executives. The
account executives are new team members to HTC and most often hold the
least amount of agency experience. This is where you come in. As an
account manager, you will be leading a team of five account executives
through every aspect of their internship period. In doing so, you will need to
maintain a versatile leadership style that can adhere to all situations that
arise within the account executive team.
In this memo, I will discuss the following aspects that will help you become a
successful account manager:

A leadership overview
Styles and type of leaders
Leadership in public relations
A global study of public relations leadership
Versatility in public relations leadership

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The performance of leaders good and bad is linked to the success, image
and future of their groups, organizations, and nations, and we believe the
same is true for public relations leaders.
- Berger & Meng, 2010, p. 4

The purpose of this memo is to guide your learning and development as an

account manager at HTC. In order to bring success to the future of our
agency, it is important that you step into this leadership position with full
understanding of how to accurately and appropriately lead the account
executives. This memo is just a starting point about what makes a great
public relations leader and which leadership types and traits should be used
to approach pressing issues.

Leadership Overview
Before delving into the criteria of an efective public relations leader, it is
important to have an understanding of what leadership means. Even though
leadership is often used as an ambiguous term, it holds several meanings
that can be adapted to diferent types of people. According to Hackman &
Johnson (2009), leadership is human (symbolic) communication which
modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others in order to meet shared group
goals and needs. In addition, it is important to consider the following
statement when thinking about the impact of not only a leader but their
followers:
Leaders without followers are alone, and followers without leaders are lost,
Smudde (2015).
As specified by Smudde (2015), there are four dimensions that serve as the
foundation of ones performance as a leader. The first one is personal
character, which is concerned with who someone is and the personality
someone exudes. Situations is the second dimension, which shows the
quality of how a leader handles certain occasions. Third, the nature of the
task serves as a dimension that proves expertise and the level of
competence needed for the situation, and the last dimension is concerned
with relationships among group members, which should be cared for in order
to reach those desired outcomes.

In addition to the four dimensions, people often hold expectations in leaders.

According to Smudde (2015), a few traits that employees would like to see in
someone who they are following include trust, respect, the ability to manage
conflict well, and openness to alternative, better ways. For the full list of
leadership expectations, see appendix A.

Styles and Types of Leaders

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Hackman and Johnson (2009) focus in on leadership by using styles and
types of leaders as a way to better understand what it takes to lead. In
regard to leadership styles, there are five categories of behavior and attitude
patterns. These five categories are listed below, but for further information
on what each of the five leadership styles denote, see appendix B.

Authoritarian leaders prefer complete control and dictate situations in

the way that they feel is correct.
Democratic leaders seek consensus from their followers.
Laissez-faire leaders prefer to keep a distance, and they hold two
forms: a positive and negative. The positive form gives their followers
freedom to make their own decisions and the negative acts as a
disinterested party.
Task-focused leaders are focused on completing the task and
completing it on time.
Relationship-focused leaders are primarily concerned with their
followers working well together.

Types or views of leaders are the second level of detail within leadership.
These eight categories, listed below, are concerned with the characteristics
of leaders (Smudde, 2015).

Traits view is how well leaders exhibit efective interpersonal

behaviors.
Situational leaders are adaptive to group, individual, and
environmental demands.
Functional leaders play particular roles when they are needed, such as
task, relationship or individual.
Relational leaders rely on hierarchical and social positions to move
people to action and reach the group goal.
Transactional leaders are the traditional form of leadership and use
formal authority to inspire followers productivity. These are thought to
be stereotypical leaders.
Transformational leaders are visionary, and they enable and inspire
followers by appealing to self-esteem and self-actualization needs.
Servant leaders focus on others needs first and act as stewards of the
organization and its people.
Charismatic leaders are extraordinary orators and exude self-
confidence and competence.

Leadership in Public Relations

Leadership in public relations is little researched, is often overlooked, or is
simply taken for granted, (Berger & Meng, 2014).

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After looking through the overview of leadership and the styles and types, it
is important to focus in on leadership within the public relations industry.
Meng et al. (2014) defines leadership in public relations:

Excellent leadership in public relations is a dynamic process that

encompasses a complex mix of individual skills and personal
attributes, values, and behaviors that consistently produces ethical and
efective communication practice. Such practice fuels and guides
successful communication teams, helps organizations achieve their
goals, and legitimizes organizations in society.

After the completion of the Cross-Cultural Study of Leadership in Public

Relations and Communication Management, led by Bruce Berger, The Model
of Excellent Leadership in Public Relations was established. This model was
articulated by Juan Meng and consists of six components which signify
excellent leadership in the field. The model, located in Appendix C, makes up
a cohesive and balanced structure of leadership in public relations. The six
components to excellent leadership in the industry are listed below (Smudde,
2015).

Self-dynamics
Team collaboration
Ethical orientation
Relationship building
Strategic decision-making capability
Communication knowledge management capability
Organizational structure and culture

Along with the several components that leaders in public relations must
obtain, they are increasingly becoming more involved in their companys
infrastructure. Smudde (2015) states a few of the crucial components public
relations leaders play in an organization:

In many ways today and beyond, public relations leaders perform a highly
valuable function of conscience plus communication expertise plus business
savvy that is vital to organizational success at every level.

With a heavy involvement in diferent aspects of a company comes a long list

of daily tasks, which is why it is important for a public relations leader to hold
versatility in their leadership and management style.

A Global Study in Public Relations Leadership

As the world and the practice spin rapidly into an uncertain future, the need
for better understanding leadership in public relations, and improving the

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preparation of leaders for this future, may be more crucial than ever,
(Berger & Meng, 2014).
In 2012, a team of 28 researchers, led by Bruce Berger and Juan Meng,
conducted the largest study in the field leadership in public relations. The
research consisted of surveys and interviews with nearly 4,500 practitioners
in 23 countries. The topics covered within the research methods included key
issues in the field, how leaders manage them, how the issues afect leaders
roles and practices, and what might be done to improve the development of
communications leaders for the future (Berger & Meng, 2014).

In the global leadership survey, participants were asked to indicate the

importance of ten issues in the field. Berger and Mengs findings concluded
that the top pressing issue in public relations leadership globally is dealing
with the speed and volume of information flow. The complete list of the top
ten pressing issues are as follows:

1. Dealing with the speed and volume of information flow

2. Being prepared to efectively deal with crises that may arise
3. Managing the digital revolution and rise of social media
4. Improving employee engagement and commitment
5. Improving the measurement of communication efectiveness
6. Dealing with growing demands for transparency
7. Finding, developing, and retaining top talent
8. Meeting demands for corporate social responsibility
9. Meeting communication needs in diverse cultures
10. Improving the image of the profession

These issues signify the ever-changing industry of public relations. In order to

keep up with the several pressing issues, public relations professionals must
be able to adhere to the situation with the appropriate leadership style.
According to Public Relations Student Society of America, the number one
skill public relations leaders will need in the coming years is the need for
speed.
People are making mistakes in nanoseconds, and who knows how
much faster it will get? Things are only going to get faster, so its going
to take leaders who can quickly provide brevity, accuracy and
authenticity. The speed will weed out potential leaders who cant learn
on the job there wont be time for that, as the job will be even more
demanding, (Jacobs, 2014).
As specified by Jacobs, the fast-pace industry will only speed up, so it is
important for public relations leaders to be knowledgeable within every
pressing issue that could occur within a nanosecond. If they are unable to
do so, it can result in a failure to the company or ones career.

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Versatility in Public Relations Leadership
Excellent leadership in public relations is a dynamic process that
encompasses a complex mix of individual skills and personal attributes,
values, and behaviors that consistently produces ethical and efective
communication practice, (Berger & Meng, 2014, p.24).

To reiterate, the definition of excellent leadership in public relations is

dynamic and complex. In order to become and maintain the traits of a
successful public relations leader, it is important to know which leadership
style will not only work best for you, but HTC. At HTC we pride ourselves
through our employees; the backbone of the agency. Reaching desired
outcomes at HTC is only possible through the versatility of leadership that is
conducted through every level.
The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations interviewed several top
public relations practitioners about leadership qualities, practices and
experiences. When asked to describe three qualities of a public relations
leader, Dr. Nilanjana Bardhan, professor of graduate studies in the
Department of Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University
Carbondale said (Interviews with PR Legends & Leaders, n.d.):
A PR leader has to be a lifelong learner, keep growing, and never say, Ive
stopped learning. I know everything there is about being a good leader.
Without the ability to continuously learn each day, public relations leaders
will not be able to adapt to pressing issues or know how to appropriately lead
their following through the ever-evolving industry.
Further proving the importance of maintaining adaptability in a public
relations environment, a leader should also obtain emotional competence. An
emotionally competent leader in public relations should be empathetic,
motivated and optimistic, accommodative to actions, skilled at negotiation
and influence-making, and most importantly to HTC, flexibility (Smudde,
2015).
Conclusion
Now that you have learned the diferent leadership types and styles, the
components of excellent leadership in public relations, the top ten pressing
issues in public relations, and the importance of versatility in the workplace,
it is important to know the next steps you should take to become a
successful leader for the account executives at HTC.
As a leader, you should understand which umbrella of leadership you fit
under. Not only should you know your leadership characteristics, but be
aware of all of them, and the positive results that they can bring to the table.
In doing this, you can conclude which leadership styles and types work for
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certain situations, thus bringing efective and efficient practices to the
agency. Lastly, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of your
followers. Learn your account executives motivations, attitudes,
knowledge/expertise, skills, work ethic, etc. (Smudde, 2015). This will give
you a basic understanding of how you can adjust your leadership style to
their wants and needs.
Although this memo serves as just the starting point to your understanding
as a leader at HTC, you should be able to see the cohesion between
versatility and leadership in public relations. With versatility, you will be able
to address pressing issues efectively, adjust your leadership style to
diferent occasions and lead your followers appropriately.

References
Berger, B. K., & Meng, J. (2014). Public relations leaders as sensemakers: a
global study of leadership in public relations and communication
management. New York: Routledge.
Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: a communication
perspective. Long Grove, Ill: Waveland Press.
Interviews with PR Legends & Leaders. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from
http://plankcenter.ua.edu/resources/leaders/videos/
Jacobs, K. (2014, April 08). 7 Skills PR Leaders Need to Succeed in the
Coming Years: Do You Have What It Takes? Retrieved from
http://apps.prsa.org/Intelligence/TheStrategist/Articles/view/10605/109
2/7_Skills_PR_Leaders_Need_to_Succeed_in_the_Coming#.WP2Kaojyu0
0

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Smudde, P. M. (2015). Managing public relations: methods and tools for
achieving solid results. New York: Oxford University Press.

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 Appendix A: Leadership Expectations
Trust. Respect. Honesty. Realism.
Stand up for the group
Efective/Best all-around communicator
Define & track expectations (buy-in at individual and group levels)
Openness to alternative, better ways
Organizational change
Treat people individually identification; create & maintain a good
work environment within corporate culture
Manage conflict well
Delegate assignments efectively
Look out for individuals interests, including new challenges & jobs to
excel in
Appendix B: Style and Types of Leaders

Authoritarian leaders prefer complete control and dictate situations

in the way that they feel is correct. In addition to this may way or
the highway style of leading, there is positive form, benevolent. A
benevolent leader explains why they chose to do something in a
certain way, so their following understands.
Democratic leaders seek consensus from their followers. These
leaders ask their followers for their views and feedback and weigh
the pros and cons of alternatives to reach a mutually agreed-upon
decision.
Laissez-faire leaders prefer to keep a distance, and they hold two
forms: a positive and negative.
o The positive form of laissez-faire gives their followers the
freedom and authority to solve their own problems, while still
acting as their guide.
o The negative form of laissez-faire serves as a disinterested
party and is unwilling to provide any help to the group.
Task-focused leaders are focused on completing the task and
completing it on time. They may lead in an authoritarian style when
it comes to adhering to project specifications.
Relationship-focused leaders are primarily concerned with their
followers working well together. This type of leader believes that
group chemistry and team spirit are vital to their success.

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Appendix C: The Model of Excellent Leadership in Public Relations
Self-
Organizatio insight
Self-
nal dynamics
structure & Shared
culture vision

Team
Collaborati
on

Ethical
orientation
Public
relations Internal
leadership relations
Relationsh
ip building
External
relations
Strategic
decision-
making

Communication
knowledge
management

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