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Leadership: The Softer Side of Leadership
Attitude and passion are important.
by Ellen Hartman, APR, Fellow PRSA President, Fitzgerald +CO Public Relations
October 25, 2007
W
hen I was a girl my mom told me repeatedly that I was as good as the Queen of England,
but no better than the pea picker in the field. That advice and a lot more has grounded me and
helped me become who I am today: I have always felt equal to anyone regardless of their level in
business or station in life, and it has helped me to become a leader who treats all people with
respect and kindness and expects the same from all others. It is also advice that I have passed on
to my daughters and to my team.
I firmly believe that leadership develops from the inside out, and many times it is the
softer-side qualities that determine the best leaders. Leaders must be confident and comfortable in
their own skin and not afraid to push themselves out of their comfort zone.
That’s a
tall order for me, a farm girl from Mississippi, but over the years, I gained confidence by risk
taking and pushing myself in such ways as becoming president of the Public Relations Society of
America, gaining a pilot’s license and running marathons. But it’s the real leader who inspires
confidence in others.
We have a rule at my company that if you join a professional organization, you must be
active and provide sweat equity by serving on or leading committees. One account executive who was
quiet and shy took this rule as a challenge and volunteered to lead a committee for a large
organization. In a short period, this once shy person has used her leadership experiences to become
confident at work and in other parts of her life.
My goal is to leave a legacy of helping others achieve their goals. That means developing
others by being a mentor and coach to team members, developing their leadership skills, providing a
learning culture and giving people challenging assignments.
At a recent leadership conference I learned that 60 percent of your promotion and success
rate depends on whom you know, but more importantly on who knows you and your work in a positive
way. Thirty percent depends on your image, and only 10 percent is because of your technical
expertise. In thinking back on what contributed to my success, building networks certainly helped
me identify and nurture internal and external relationships, which widened my circles of influence.
Lastly, I believe that attitude and passion are essential for leadership. Attitude also
affects everything, and I really believe that it is a choice we make each day.
Passion is a similar trait that should be evident in your life.
Being a good leader is a combination of experiences that includes gaining acceptance of
others, taking the initiative to create confidence, building networks of friends and associates,
choosing to have a great attitude, and being passionate about life.
While these attributes have helped make me a successful leader, they’re the same basic
principles I try and teach everyone I encounter. And while I am as good as my most skilled
colleague, I am no better than the greenest of interns.
