Casey Spears
Jacqui Dean
#BeBoldForChange today, and every day. As Canadian poet Rupi Kaur says, your spirit has crushed mountains—you are resilient, you are extraordinary. Women around the world are celebrating and calling on the masses to help forge a better working world on International Women’s Day 2017.
There has been a lot of conversation around women’s stereotypical attributes, including vulnerability, compassion and emotion. However, these are all strengths, especially in business, and even more so in our industry—marketing and public relations.
Last week, Henry Demone, Chair of Highliner, spoke at a networking event in Halifax, NS. He mentioned that he grew up in Lunenburg, NS as the son and grandson of sea captains. As it goes with the territory, his father and grandfather were always out at sea and from them he learned leadership and hard work. But there was one thing that his mother and grandmother taught him that put him in good stead for his successful business career, and that was emotional intelligence.
A very important soft skill that is called upon more and more is emotional intelligence, and some of the greatest business leaders have this down to a fine art. From the get go, being able to connect with each and every one of your employees at some level creates a good business. And from there a great business is built from the ground up; if employees feel connected, so too will clients and stakeholders.
At NATIONAL, we help our clients tell their stories and connect with their audiences, and this wouldn’t be possible without a sense of vulnerability, compassion and emotional intelligence.
Brene Brown, research professor at University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, once said: “Vulnerability is the absolute heartbeat of innovation and creativity. There can be zero innovation without vulnerability.”
And we couldn’t agree more. Women as collaborators bring something unique and compelling to the table.
Our client mandates usually include connecting with audiences and building loyalty, two things that we wouldn’t be able to be achieved without compassion and emotional intelligence, from the original brainstorming session to the final implementation. Women create connection.
We feel lucky to be part of a workforce that fosters strong women and acknowledges that our vulnerabilities, compassion, and emotional intelligence are a vital part of how we work.
Although International Women’s Day only occurs once each year, it’s refreshing to see workplaces and agencies, such as NATIONAL, embracing inclusive leadership, applauding women role models, and celebrating women’s triumphs throughout the year.
——— Casey Spears is a former Traffic Coordinator at NATIONAL Public Relations
——— Jacqui Dean is a former Coordinator at NATIONAL Public Relations