There’s a big gap in how PR leaders, employees rate leadership performance

In a new survey of PR pros from The Plank Center for Leadership at the University of Alabama, everyone agrees that PR leaders have stepped up and improved in the chaotic years of 2020 and 2021, raising their overall grade to a B- from the previous C+.

But there’s a big disconnect in one key area: how workers view leadership’s efforts versus how those leaders view their own efforts.

When asked about leadership performance, the leaders themselves ranked their efforts a respectable A-. However, other PR pros rated their overall performance a C+.

A C+ Is not a terrible grade for a series of years that brought challenges that no one could have anticipated. However, it’s that gap that’s worrisome, even if it’s not surprising: The gap has been roughly the same in previous report cards.

“The gaps may be reduced through 1) increased power sharing, or leader empowering behaviors, 2) strengthened two-way communication, and 3) enhanced interpersonal skills in teamwork, such as conflict management, active listening, and empathy,” the Plank Center advises. “Leaders at all levels can benefit from relying less on the transmission mode and more on the reception mode when communicating with employees. These approaches also help build trust.”