rowing up, my two hard-working and humble parents taught me I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard and remained kind, positive, caring and generous. As a preschool teacher, my mom taught these values to dozens of children. They were the foundation upon which I built my life—and they’ve guided me throughout my career in communications and public relations.
It wasn’t until I was invited to keynote the Boise State Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) 2018 regional conference, however, that I distilled these values into my five personal lessons for leadership and life, my own personal code: Engage. Attract. Inquire. Give Back. Inspire.
Known as the “first lady of public relations,” Plank helped create PRSSA, the student affiliate to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), in 1967. She then worked to develop the Champions of PRSSA to fund public relations scholarships, and endowed the Plank Center for Public Relations at the University of Alabama “to help develop and recognize outstanding leaders and role models in public relations.”
During a speech presenting the Alexander Hamilton Award in 2000, Plank said, “Public relations is fundamental to a democratic society where people make decisions in the workplace, the marketplace, the community and in the voting booth. Its primary mission is to forge responsible relationships of understanding, trust and respect among groups and individuals—even though they often disagree.”
These words profoundly impacted my view on leadership and reaffirmed our work as PR professionals to build a world based on understanding, trust and respect. They also support and affirm my five lessons in leadership and life.
Make an authentic connection with your peers, your colleagues and your community.
Plank once said, “The best communicators are agents of change—responsible change to enable our institutions to serve better.”
In 2014, I joined the Washington State Employment Security Department when the economy was on an upswing after the great recession. This was good news for most, but at the Employment Security Department, the agency that administers unemployment benefits for the state, lower unemployment rates meant reduced federal funding and, ultimately, layoffs. Throw in a leadership change and the opportunity for chaos and unrest became magnified.
Starting at the top, the entire executive team agreed to undergo leadership assessments to learn the impact of their leadership styles on their staff. This helped us identify strengths and plan improvements for engaging those we led, as well as how people worked peer-to-peer. Then we engaged groups of employees from across the agency to identify ways to make ESD a better place to work, reported their recommendations and developed implementation plans.
Key to our success? Executive leaders committed to engaging with their teams face-to-face, modeling accountability and respect by developing measurable goals and sharing them regularly in highly visible ways. In just a few years, ESD saw a dramatic increase in our employee engagement scores as measured in a statewide survey each year.
2. Attract:
You attract what you exude. Bring your best attitude to everything you do and you’ll attract the same.
I’m a big believer in the law of attraction. First formally exposed to this idea when I read The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, I learned the law of attraction is timeless—and it consistently works.
In a nutshell, the law of attraction is the belief that “the universe creates and provides for you that which your thoughts are focused on.”
When you bring a positive, hardworking and grateful attitude to work, you’re a model for what you expect from your team and your colleagues. When you don’t, well… it’s easy to see how this law works to draw negativity and poor behavior out of your employees and your peers.
Your team doesn’t just need clear direction, they need you to be positive and caring. It’s not always easy to keep a positive attitude but, having dipped into negativity a time or two, I’m a firm believer that life and leadership consistently improve when you keep your spirits high and your attitude on a positive plane.
3. Inquire:
Ask questions; really listen. This demonstrates respect and encourages people to contribute and give their best.
According to Plank, “Public relations people must be eternal students.” That’s true for all of us.
A few years ago, I took a change management course called “Influencer.” The instructor shared a term “RIP,” or “Retired In Place,” a term government employees use to describe long-time employees, close to retirement, who seem to have lost their spark. He also shared a story about an older co-worker he knew who had been tagged with this label.
Rather than join his colleagues in marginalizing this long-time employee with meaningless tasks, he reached out to him for wisdom. That act of inquiring, asking questions and showing genuine interest ignited that employee’s spark. His workplace benefitted from his contributions through his retirement, and he retired with the respect and gratitude he deserved.
Asking questions of people shows them they matter and fosters inclusion. Being curious makes a connection and shows you care.
4. Give Back:
Look for ways to give back in your community, to your profession and in your workplace. Committing to common goals demonstrates leadership, builds connection and shows you care. I love this one from Plank: “Unless it’s illegal, unethical or immoral, volunteer for everything.”
While I’ve sometimes been accused of having trouble saying “no,” saying “yes” to opportunities to give back has added tremendous value to my life—and it has helped me connect with others no matter where I am in my life. There’s something about volunteer teamwork that breaks down barriers between leaders and their staff. It helps us demonstrate our humanity—and giving back makes everyone feel better.
At work and in my community, I’ve built great friendships through volunteering for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, United Way Women United, Habitat for Humanity and the Junior League of Olympia. Volunteer leadership through PRSA has been a lifelong commitment that has paid off in wonderful relationships, opportunities to mentor and support students, and ongoing learning.
5. Inspire:
Never forget that leadership brings great responsibility. People look to us for inspiration and hold us to higher standards.
I keep the following quote by civil rights icon Rosa Parks on my desk: “Each person must live their life as a model for others.”
The best leaders I’ve served have always recognized this commitment. They hold themselves to high standards of kindness and servant leadership, they lift others up with their positive attitudes, they take time to learn from others to show they care, and they contribute to their communities and workplace causes. They’ve inspired me to live and learn these lessons in my life—and I strive to provide this inspiration to others. While we all may not be able to leave a legacy as powerful as Betsy Plank’s, it’s important to recognize the legacy we leave behind in every life we touch.
I challenge you to Engage. Attract. Inquire. Give Back. Inspire!
Guthrie proudly supports a variety of state and national philanthropies and is a member of the leadership teams for the PRSA Public Affairs & Government Section and PRSA College of Fellows. She has been recognized for PR, community service and leadership, including the Lloyd. B. Dennis Distinguished Service Award for national public affairs excellence and the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter PR Professional of the Year and Hugh Smith Community Service Awards.
Guthrie proudly supports a variety of state and national philanthropies and is a member of the leadership teams for the PRSA Public Affairs & Government Section and PRSA College of Fellows. She has been recognized for PR, community service and leadership, including the Lloyd. B. Dennis Distinguished Service Award for national public affairs excellence and the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter PR Professional of the Year and Hugh Smith Community Service Awards.