Explore with me how some of multitude of definitions for word "leader" actually serve as a performance standard for leadership.

Leaving behind standard definition of "one who leads or guides", consider second definition: "one who has power or influence". Have you known people in a leadership role who seem unable to influence people around them? The ability to make connections, to speak clearly and to frame information so everyone hears a "what's it in for me" message are essential for influence. We are also persuaded by people with conviction and passion. We are influenced by people whom we think we can trust. Lose or misuse any of this and a leader's power vanishes.

A leader is defined as "a conductor or principal performer in an orchestral section". Finding ways to bring together different talents of employees or volunteers so that all play from same sheet of music and blend their instruments into a harmonious whole is a skill demonstrated by finest of leaders! As a principal performer, we look to a leader to have one talent that is heads above other people in that arena of "play". We don't want a leader who professes to best at everything. But we do want a leader to have one clearly recognizable skill.

The foremost animal in a harnessed team is a leader. Do we not look to leaders to guide way, joined shoulder by shoulder to rest of team? Remember how presence of a leader at a front line became rallying point for many a battle?

Managers and PR Genius

The real public relations geniuses might be managers. You know, managers who pursue their objectives by reaching, persuading and moving those outside audiences whose behavior most affect their organizations, to actions those managers desire.

Their “secret” is probably a PR blueprint something like this one: people act on their own perception of facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action very people whose behaviors affect organization most, public relations mission is accomplished.

What a PR blueprint like this gives YOU, a business, non-profit or association manager, are tools you need to persuade your important external stakeholders to your way of thinking. Then, hopefully, move them to take actions that lead to your success.

Best part is, public relations people assigned to your department, division or subsidiary can run program for you if, that’s IF, you as unit manager stay involved and participate in key decisions along way.

First concern? In all probability, your PR staff will need to shift its attention from simple communications tactics to more aggressive fundamental concept of public relations, and its action blueprint, mentioned above.

It’s worth effort because payoff for you will be target audience behaviors like these: boosts in repeat purchases, or higher contribution and membership application rates, or new waves of interested prospects.

Sit down with PR folks who work for your unit and explain need to list, in priority order, those key outside audiences. And discuss importance of learning how organization is perceived by members of those audiences. In particular because perceptions almost always lead to predictable behaviors, and that, of course, is what will soon concern you most.