“Leaders have an added responsibility now,” according to Kaplow Communications founder and CEO Liz Kaplow. In the latest “PR’s Top Pros Talk” video, she talks with D S Simon Media CEO Doug Simon about some of the secrets of effective leadership in a constantly changing marketplace.

Resiliency, she says, is key to negotiating the current environment. That resiliency can help leaders “get to a place where we can be mindful of what are the solutions and how do we see these challenges and opportunities.”

Kaplow also stresses the human factor—“relationship building, showing up in the moment and really being present”—as an essential element of success at a time when making connections can be more difficult than ever.

That human factor applies to both team members and clients. “Leaders need to work harder to stay connected to their teams,” she tells Simon, adding that listening to colleagues requires some new skills in a world where most interactions are virtual.

Leaders also need to be aware that the adrenaline which fueled many people during the early days of the pandemic may be fading a bit, she says. “We need to show that we’re real, that we’re people, this is part of what we’re all going through together.”

As regards clients, she says that “when you form a partnership with the brand, it needs to have transparency at the bottom of it, and it is an ongoing relationship and conversation.” Agencies also need to keep clients focused on looking forward rather than getting “mired in all the sort of malaise that’s going on.”

But Kaplow remains optimistic about the future of the PR industry. At time when brand stories “are more important than ever,” she says that “what we do in our contributions will make a huge difference.”

View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Subscribe to get notified when new episodes are available.

Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected]

D S Simon Media helps clients get their stories on television through satellite media tours and by producing and distributing content to the media. The company also produces live social media events.