Working in a busy agency environment can get hectic at times. As the years go by, the advertising industry continues to grow. New trends emerge every day, new opportunities present themselves each hour it seems, and there’s usually a new employee every few months as well.

While the field of advertising and communication continue to evolve, there’s something that’s still tried and true when it comes to finding success: leadership. While evokers attended the 78th Annual Florida Public Relations Conference, they were reminded and refreshed about leadership within the workplace. Here’s what they learned:

The opening speakers from KETCHUM began their presentation by having all attendees stretch at their seats before diving into their five-year study, which focused on finding what truly makes a leader shine. The speakers, Jamey Peters and Chris Thornton, explained to the audience the two key questions of leadership today:

1. Is there balance within your leadership?
2. Do others seek roles of leadership due to your leadership?

Evokers sat in the audience wondering how could this be measured an analyzed over five years? KETCHUM’s research involved communicating with more than 25,000 people across a total of five continents, and conversations proved that there is a low level of trust with a large expectation gap when it comes to how employees perceive their leaders.

After going over the research, Peters and Thornton explained what all of the data means to us, as leaders and potential leaders waiting to jump in. A great individual leader leads by example, communicates openly and admits mistakes. Sounds easy, right? Communication is key to making any relationship stronger, but which types of communication matters most?

• In-person communication
• Formal announcements
• TV interviews
• Earned media
• Social media

When leaders communicate openly, trust is gained. Whether you’re communicating as a leader of an organization to stakeholders, or as a CEO to your employees and board members, transparency is the best tool you can use. By communicating more frequently, employees can better anticipate and influence the marketplace, take on better dialogue with consumers, and develop better relationships with key players in the community.

After listening to this inspiring and eye-opening presentation, evokers returned to the office with ideas on how to communicate in ways that empower everyone in the workplace to feel like a leader. Are you promoting leadership from within your organization? Use the checklist below to see if you’re answering the most important questions:

• Are you setting realistic expectations?
• Are you presenting yourself as someone who will genuinely want to listen?
• When was the last time you acknowledged a mistake?
• Continuously commit to improving communication
• Are you advocating for leaders within your organization?

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