May 1, 2015
In the past few months, we have been interviewing senior practitioners, recent graduates and current students nationwide to better understand perceptions of leadership development in our profession. Why does this topic matter so much? According to Deloitte’s 2014 Global Human Capital Trends report, about two-thirds of companies worldwide report a deficiency in leadership development among their millennial employees. The PR profession is not immune to this concern.
In fact, the largest global study of PR leadership to date, supported by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, affirmed that leadership development should be a priority for our profession. Thousands of practitioners around the globe participated in that ambitious study, and the findings serve as a rigorous foundation and an important call-to-action.
The future leaders of our profession want to make a difference in their organizations and communities. But a college degree only takes them so far on the leadership development path. They need and want your guidance on how to better adapt to changing circumstances, and how to lead others in these challenging times.
Through our interviews, we are beginning to understand how perceptions of leadership vary across generations within the PR profession, and how gaps in leadership development impact our industry and up-and-coming practitioners. We want to help senior- and mid-level practitioners identify and embrace ideas for better developing leadership competencies in their young colleagues and interns.
Prior studies have given us a solid starting point. For example, we know that leadership development generally involves work-related experiences that help a person learn how to influence group behavior and achieve team goals. And, we also know that millennials often need a more diverse blend of teaching methods when it comes to developing leadership skills. What we have heard in our initial interviews is consistent with these earlier studies, yet sheds light on several needs and challenges that are unique to the PR profession.
Our sample of interview subjects is not yet large or balanced enough to be fully representative of the profession. Broader and more systematic research will be necessary to validate initial findings. However, some consistent themes have emerged that are worth pondering:
Our study covers much more ground, and we look forward to sharing more detailed findings through conference presentations and subsequent publications. Truth be told, though, we are just scratching the surface when it comes to the important question of how we can better develop future generations of PR leaders. We welcome your feedback, and even more so, we encourage your active participation.
Aspiring leaders need your guidance. Please keep paying forward the many lessons that you have learned through your own career. You might be surprised to know just how big of an impact you are making on young professionals — and on the future of our profession.
David L. Remund, Ph.D., APR, is an assistant professor of public relations in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon. Connect with him via email (dremund@uoregon.edu), Twitter (@remund) or LinkedIn.
Michele Ewing, APR, Fellow PRSA, is an associate professor of public relations in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. Connect with her via email (meewing@kent.edu), Twitter (@meewing) or LinkedIn.
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