Leadership isn’t just about titles or authority; it’s about influence, responsibility, and the moments when someone chooses to step up for others. The most impactful leaders don’t just make decisions; they shape environments.

Most people are debating what happened. Communicators should be asking which narrative won, and why?

Americans associate a wide range of information-gathering practices with the idea of doing their own research. 🔎

President's Day is often framed as a history lesson. I think it’s also a leadership one. Modern leaders don’t face the same moments in history, but they face the same core challenge: How do you lead when expectations are high, trust is fragile, and the path forward isn’t obvious?

Most ‘crisis comms’ advice you read online would fail in a real boardroom. Here’s what actually survives contact with a CEO and a headline.

I wrote about the cowardly lions of corporate America under Trump and their decades-long push to shape the country’s political life and democracy, no matter their protestations to the contrary now. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

In a new paper, Professor @victorpickard.bsky.social argues for a more democratic media system:

Great sitting down with Brian Tyler Cohen to talk about everything from the courage we saw in Minnesota, to how Democrats can be true to our values and get stuff done, to how we’re building a community of changemakers at the Obama Foundation. youtube.com/watch?v=uI-hgSE5QIw

There’s a quiet myth in leadership circles that once you reach a certain level, mentorship becomes optional.

Now THIS is service journalism

A group of Buddhist monks has finally reached Washington, D.C., on foot, completing a 15-week trek for peace from Texas apnews.com/article/budd...

Many leaders aren’t struggling with decisions, strategy, or performance. They’re struggling under an internal image of perfection. The tighter leaders cling to who they think they’re supposed to be, the less effective they become.

“.. It even inspired a counterprogramming event: the ‘All-American Halftime Show,’ .. an act of exclusion masquerading as an embrace of unity.” @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/a...

No caption needed. This is what leadership, partnership, and grace look like.

As the Winter Olympics kick off today, it’s a good reminder of what real leadership looks like under pressure. Olympians lead themselves through years of preparation, setbacks, and quiet discipline when no one is watching.

a great @ruthmarcus.bsky.social read on this unfortunate #journalism horror story… www.newyorker.com/news/annals-...

Sad, but true!👇🏾 great @ashleyrparker.bsky.social piece worth reading…

an insightful @hilli.tech read…👇🏾

I’m speaking at the IPR Bridge Conference at UNC–Chapel Hill (Mar 18–19) about where PR and communications are headed next. Trust, tech, data, and expectations are reshaping our field in real time. Let’s talk about it. Join us: bit.ly/BRIDGE-2026 #PublicRelations #Comms #IPRBridge #PRFuture

Lately, I've been encouraging my students to really think about what actually makes leaders effective, especially as roles get more complex and technology keeps accelerating everything around us.

Most organizations need something to break through the inertia—a catalyst that disrupts established patterns and creates the conditions for change to take hold. f-st.co/Uq4sg9W

Profit alone won’t defend democracy; moral courage will. CEOs: the world is watching.

“You cannot be neutral about the dismantling of our democracy and still expect to be protected by it,” Georgia Fort told CJR days before her arrest. “If the Constitution fails to protect US citizens, it will fail to protect the media, the free press.” www.cjr.org/news/astonis...

Legally speaking, the charges against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are complex and unusual. But politically speaking, it’s pretty simple. The Trump administration wants to punish perceived opponents and raise the cost of critical news coverage. My latest analysis piece for CNN >>>

Insightful read 🎯 👇🏾 “Leaders who succeed in driving meaningful change understand that what matters most isn’t how persuasive they are, but how effectively they can empower others to bring in others, who can bring in others still.”

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Great leaders move, learn from the results, adjust, and move again. They build strong organizations not by avoiding mistakes, but by developing a healthier relationship with learning than with being right.

Some great insights in this new #ReputationCapitalCouncil research, especially the mandate and alignment gap that exists with most CCOs in this important area! @arunsudhaman.bsky.social @earnedfirst.bsky.social #Davos www.earned-first.com/davos-ceos-w...

#GoGamecocks @sc.edu @gamecockcentral.bsky.social #SCAlum

Too many organizations today are confusing being nice with being effective, and the cost is higher than most leaders realize. It's important for leaders to understand that avoiding tough conversations in the name of kindness doesn’t protect culture.

Exceptional @provokepaul.bsky.social @provokemedia.com read! A powerful lesson for every business leader today on what true “values driven and stakeholder focused”leadership looks like… 👇🏾 www.provokemedia.com/latest/artic...

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The real test of leadership shows up when the answers aren’t clear. 2025 made that unavoidable. The leaders who stood out weren’t louder or faster. They were deliberate, aligned, and disciplined in how they made decisions and showed up.

We keep framing AI as a way to save time. That’s the smallest upside. Used well, it sharpens judgment. It surfaces patterns earlier and gives leaders space to think, not just react. For communicators, that shift changes the role entirely.

Sustainable leadership isn’t built on actions alone; it’s built on beliefs. Without addressing what’s happening inside us, even the most well-intentioned behaviors can fall short.

When too much information is shared without clear priorities, key messages get lost. People confuse volume with effectiveness, and the result is misalignment, wasted effort, and stalled progress. The same meetings, emails, and updates that are meant to clarify often create confusion instead.

One of the most overlooked drivers of performance is confidence. And confidence is built through culture. Not by mission statements or one-off initiatives, but by how leaders show up every day, make decisions, and communicate during moments that matter.

One of the most underrated reasons to bring on fractional communications support? It’s not just capacity. It’s clarity.

Leadership is changing and it's changing fast. Today, leadership is less about authority and more about behavior. It is a verb. It’s the daily actions, the consistency, the willingness to walk the same path you expect others to take.

AI won’t replace communicators but it will raise the bar for what communicators need to be great at. In the next few years, I think the most valuable comms pros will be the ones who can: - Interpret AI-driven analytics, sentiment, and data - Translate that into clear strategic choices

Meaningful progress rarely starts with universal agreement. It starts with leaders who are willing to act before every detail is perfect, before everyone “gets it,” and before the path is completely safe.

Every year, companies roll out beautifully designed posts celebrating cultural holidays and diversity milestones, highlighting that diversity and inclusion often appear louder on the calendar than they do in the culture. Real inclusion is the everyday experience of your employees.

Congratulations to the leaders recognized in PRovoke Media's 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 – grateful to be in inspiring company. https://www.provokemedia.com/ranking-and-data/influence-100/the-influence-100-2025

Honored to be named to PRovoke Media’s 2025 Influence 100. I see it as a reflection of the communities that shaped me—and a reminder to lead with courage, speak truth when it’s hard, and use our voices to make things better.

Giving Tuesday is an invitation to pause and ask: How can we give back in ways that create lasting impact? As leaders, we have the opportunity to create ripple effects.

Across industries, rising sick days, burnout, and turnover aren’t signs of employee weakness. They’re indicators of a culture misaligned with its people. Change takes courage. Sometimes courage looks like calling out a cultural issue.

Effective leadership today isn’t about having the “right” answer. It’s about having a process that helps teams move forward when the path isn’t obvious. There are four guidelines leaders can apply when the stakes are high and the variables are messy:

My mother taught me two truths: success is never solo, and your voice should drive change. Our industry needs courage, conscience & conviction—not just pragmatism. Stand up. Speak truth. Lead with integrity. Honored to be inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame.

Many companies that once spoke boldly on sustainability, DEI, or social issues are finding that the landscape has shifted. What used to feel like leadership can now feel like risk. Every statement gets scrutinized. Every initiative gets politicized.

True courage isn’t only about bold action. It’s about balance. It's important for leaders to remember that courage can show up not just in deficiency (hesitation, fear, avoidance), but also in excess (recklessness, overconfidence, or disregard for others’ input).