There is little room for the status quo or traditional tactics as business and organizations strive for authentic leadership in 2009 and beyond. More than ever before, companies will turn to the media – mainstream and the fast-evolving online New Media of Web 2.0 – as they seek to build brand awareness, leadership positioning, new opportunities to engage in trust-building conversations with customers and stakeholders, and, ultimately, better financial performance and results.

In such a new world, there is more responsibility on CEOs, leaders and executives to take charge of communicating the vision of their organizations in a clear, compelling and transparent way. The days of delegating that important role are over. Here are my 5 steps to becoming a media savvy leader in 2009 and beyond:

1. Develop personal and trusted media contacts
2. Communicate through captivating storytelling and memorable messages
3. Become the credible voice and face of the organization
4. Learn new trends in media, especially online
5. Get involved in conversations with customers and stakeholders

Read the rest

A review by Richard R. Blake of The Media Savvy Leader for the Midwest Book Review:
 

The Media Savvy Leader by David Henderson
By Richard R Blake

Media Communications that Enhance Competitive Positioning and Brand Awareness

David Henderson, veteran communications strategist, provides “a candid look at why some leaders are high-profile media stars and titans of industry who generate outstanding results while other are relegated to stand in the shadows.” The Media Savvy Leader” is the result of interviewing dozens of businesses, associations, non-profit leaders and over 150 journalists.

Henderson begins the book with an insider’s perspective on up-to-the-minute ways leaders are made and become recognized in today’s competitive media world. He stresses the importance of strategic positioning, reputation, and image management which create clear messages that produces influence. He offers the reader insight into the distinctive techniques which make news. He discusses the dynamics of technology, audience shifts, changing revenue streams, and news cycles. He shows how traditional tools of media are fast becoming obsolete. Read the rest

As someone who works with many organizations on leadership, I can say - with tongue in cheek - that none of the CEOs of the Big Three auto makers will ever be accused of being leaders. To the contrary, they are a PR disaster. As their recent demonstration on Capital Hill revealed, they are too tone deaf, too old in their approaches, too rich, and too rusty to lead their companies out of a downward spiral.

GM’s Richard Wagoner, for example, apparently was only capable of speaking in the one-dimensional promotional jargon of a car salesman. He was not able to deliver specific and lucid answers to Congress. At one point, a congressman snapped at Wagoner to save the commercial for later.

Wagoner and his pals clearly were inadequately prepped.

Their presentations, their attitudes, suggested CEOs who were out of step or too arrogant to comprehend the climate in America today. Their appearance suggested CEOs who had not bothered to rehearse being humble.

None of the CEOs … and none of the PR people advising them … apparently anticipated the obvious question that was asked by Representative Gary Ackerman of New York, a question that will be remembered as perhaps the undoing of Detroit’s car industry:

“There’s a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hands … It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high-hat and tuxedo. . . . I mean, couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here?”

The CEOs sat there, looking at Ackerman, speechless. Read the rest

During many interviews with corporations, organizations, and PR agencies—in addition to the media—in preparation to write my new book, The Media Savvy Leader, I found that not many corporate leaders are exchanging high-5s over the performance of even the largest global public relations agencies.

While agencies today, whether advertising or PR, charge hefty fees, many have not kept up-to-date on the skills needed to effectively communicate in the Internet era.

They might be huge, employ a lot of people, have multiple offices (which is usually accomplished through the purchase of existing agencies), and make tons of money, but they still operate in silos and the level of expertise among offices is inconsistent. It’s a sadly dismal yet accurate picture.

On the other hand, such an environment presents tremendous opportunities for the C-level executive who wants to learn how to capture the media spotlight and establish a reputation as a compelling and charismatic leader.

Here’s non-traditional checklist of tips that I compiled - working with a well-known head of corporate communications at a leading global corporation - to help you find a public relations agency that can deliver top quality results for your organization:

• Size does not matter. The size of a PR agency today is meaningless and not relevant to quality of work. In fact, there is some belief that today’s super-sized global agencies have been grown that large only in order to charge super-sized fees. That may work for large clients with significant budgets that get an ego-thrill by dropping the name of their agency but it does not always equate to meaningful results. What’s far more important is solid expertise to specifically deliver solutions that will help you become more successful.
• Reputation within your own business arena. Ask your colleagues, customers and even competitors what PR agency they believe delivers the best results. Read the rest