Leaders make an impact, and they wield influence. People listen to what they say, respect them, and follow their instructions. They control resources, shape situations and control outcomes. In other words, they have power.

As communicators, we’re used to supporting, equipping, and enabling leaders in our organizations. Our job is to make them look good – and become even more influential. But are we selling ourselves short in the process?

As communications professionals, we don’t always feel powerful. Many communications colleagues over the years have observed that we often don’t get the respect our expertise deserves, or the resources we need to do our job effectively.

In our 60-minute online session on February 22^nd, we’ll look at how we can change this.

• First of all, we’ll take a quick look at the theory and what academic research tells us about leadership. What makes someone a leader? Why are some people influential and others not? What is it about them that makes other people want to like them, trust them, listen to them, and do what they say?
• Second, we’ll look at leadership “presence”. The good news is that there are several core components of leadership. We’ll break these down into areas you can work on, and tangible things you can do to convey a greater sense of power with your colleagues and stakeholders.
• Finally, I’ll share a framework that will help you to put these learnings into practice over the next three months.
• We’ll also have time throughout the session for Q&A.

As a result, you’ll leave the session understanding exactly what you need to do to become more influential and make a greater impact in your organization.

February 22, 2023
Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET

About the presenter

Kathryn Kneller has 15 years of experience helping senior leaders to communicate more effectively at some of the world’s biggest companies.

Since 2008, Kathryn has held communications leadership roles with clients including HSBC, AstraZeneca, Unilever and Shell, working as an independent consultant since 2013.   

Alongside this work, she also runs Internal Comms Mastery - a training and coaching service that helps communications professionals to do great work, make an impact and build brilliant careers. 

She holds a bachelor's degree in English Literature and History from Cambridge University, and speaks French, German and Spanish She holds a post-graduate diploma in Japanese from Nihon University in Tokyo.

IABC Philadelphia members can attend the event for 50% off the registration price. Contact [email protected] to receive the code.

Over the past three years, corporate communications professionals have elevated the practice of agile, timely, and strategic storytelling. Communications is no longer a function that is designed to respond reactively, but one that is positioned to lead and shape conversations. It is also an arena where mistakes can happen — sometimes very publicly. There are valuable opportunities to learn from these mistakes as much as our successes.

At this year’s conference, we will examine what we’ve learned and answer the questions that are top of mind, including: what will shape our strategies as we go forward? What do we need from our leaders to get the job done? And how will the practice continue to evolve?

Join fellow communicators to hear from leaders of some of the world’s most relevant brands as we explore what comes next for the practice.

Who Should Attend: This conference is designed especially for senior-level professionals and their teams responsible for shaping and executing on their organization's communications strategy for both external and internal audiences.

Presenters

• Jonathan Adashek, chief communication officer and SVP of marketing and communications, IBM
• Kelly Clausen, head of corporate communications and marketing, Etsy
• Ed Harnaga, senior VP, chief communications officer, Pfizer
• Jennifer Lowney, global head of communications, Citi
• Dev Pragad, president and CEO, Newsweek
• Frank X. Shaw, chief communications officer, Microsoft

Mark your calendar. Details coming soon.