Explore how to become a better leader in uncertain times with Ken Jacobs, PCC, CPC, ELI-MP.
Ken is the principal of Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching, which helps empower public relations and communications agency owners, CEOs, and senior leaders to achieve and surpass their organizational, career, and personal goals by becoming more inspiring, inspired, and effective leaders. It does so via leadership coaching.
Here are a few of our favorite moments with Ken, and why we think you should listen to his wisdom, or download the transcript below, and most definitely register for Ken’s upcoming discussion with @PRSA, “How to Evolve your Leadership Style So People Will Follow You Despite Any Uncertainty” on January 18 at noon Pacific time! This webinar is FREE to PRSA members.
Q: One can be a leader or a manager. What’s the difference?
A lot of people use those terms interchangeably. I absolutely, definitely do not, I don’t think it helps anyone to use them interchangeably, I think it’s much more helpful to separate them. So, you know, when we think of management, its processes and production schedules, and budgets and calendars, and you know, getting the train out of the station on time, so to speak, and it’s executing with excellence. I would never, you know, minimize management. But if you think about it, then then you understand, it’s about things. Whereas leadership, leadership is always about people. It’s about inspiration. It’s about serving them, so that, you know, you only succeed when they succeed. It might include identifying the values of the organization, and it likely includes creating the vision for the organization, where are we going to be, you know, what comes after what comes next and where are we going to be after that? And, helping people there’s that word, again, understand their roles in achieving the vision. So, for me, they’re quite different.
Q: How can I tell if I’m a leader or a manager?
Well, you’re probably gonna go through the arc of practice learner practitioner manager leader. But I think, you know, at its basic, it’s, you know, if you turn around, do you have people in the boat with you so to speak, rowing in the same direction? Are they inspired? And leadership is a two-part choice, your conscious decision to lead, that’s a little easier, and their conscious decision to follow you. And you know, leadership can’t be assumed they can make, you know, they can come in every day, do the work, check it off the list. But that’s kind of transactional. And I think, you know, you’re a leader or an effective leader, when it’s transformative, where they are absolutely choosing to follow you or not, I hope they do follow you. But that’s how you know, and, you know, do you really feel you have followers, whether they report to you or not, who look to you for guidance, who look to you for courage, who trust you?
And one of our favorite quotes from Ken Jacobs is this:
“When one is using one’s leadership, energy, and one leadership, influence, to drive the best outcomes for the agency for the clients, for your team members, for your peers, and if you have one for your boss, then you are a leader. And the reason I believe that so much so deeply is that because then it proves that you can start to lead very early on in your career.”