Business leaders grasp the big picture, create a vision and inspire those around them. The most successful leaders also understand their limitations, acknowledge they can’t be an expert in everything and ensure they have others with specialist skills to advise them.
However when the advisers and experts are also company employees decisions can become insular, and have unintended consequences. We see that often in the public relations space, where a decision made internally creates issues externally that leads to reputational damage.
Specialist advisers from the outside view the company – and each situation – through different eyes. Their objectivity and perspective comes from vast experience in their areas of expertise. Like specialists in law, finance, cyber security and other fields, PR and crisis communications professionals – who spend their lives managing issues – look into a problem from the outside and offer clarity and calmness in the midst of intensity. They help leaders see more clearly.