Professor Anne Gregory emphasizes the critical role of communication in leadership and organizational success, highlighting the need for a clear purpose and values in navigating complexity and connectivity. She outlines the expectations of CEOs for communicative leadership, which includes problem-solving, relationship management, and maintaining authenticity. The document ultimately argues that organizations should prioritize communication to foster innovation and legitimacy in the evolving business landscape.

1. The world needs
communication leadership
Professor Anne Gregory
Chair, Global Alliance

2. We have a problem: WEF

6. We have a BIG opportunity...

7. Communication is at the heart of
everything

8. Driving factors in our world
• Compression
• Complexity
• Connectivity
• Co-dependence
• Context

9. What do we conclude from this?
Organisations are
defined and
constituted by
communication
not just enabled
by it…

10. A new way of looking at
organisations

11. The value we contribute: 80%

12. Who is round the Board table?

13. Grasping the opportunity to lead…

14. Leadership with communication at
its heart - thanks to A.G Lafley
• Defining the meaningful
outside
• Deciding how you do
business
• Balancing present and future
• Shaping values and
standards

15. What CEOs expect from us
• Forward intelligence
• Externally and internally connected
• Problem-solvers
• Coaches and advisors
• A new, authentic narrative
• Technical competence

16. Implications
Requires leadership from us
at all levels: understanding
and solving problems
affecting relationships and
reputation

17. Four levels of contribution
Society
Corporate
Stakeholder/value
chain/network
Functional
Steyn, 2007; Gregory and Willis 2009

18. To society….
Purpose: Social
orientation
• what is our role in
society?
• what are our
obligations?
• what are the
implications for our
organisation?
Values based:
stakeholder oriented
PR contribution
• maintain legitimacy
• assists strategy
development
• puts performance into
perspective
• builds brand identity
• provide the
organisational sense-
check
ROI on the 80%

19. Key issue is purpose…

21. Defining Character and Values
The communicative organisation has a clear
sense of its ‘DNA’
• Values: which the organisation lives by and guides its
decisions and behaviour.
• Leadership: to model the character and values of the
organisation through decisions taken
• Culture: the processes, structures, collective behaviour and
ways of working that define organisational life. The way
people interact with each other internally and externally.

22. Character and Values

23. On character

24. At corporate level….
Financial orientation
• What is the shape of
our business?
• How shall we deploy
our resources?
Internally oriented:
resources and
capability
PR contribution
• Informed decision-
making: listening
• Coaching management
on their comms
responsibilities
• Preserving and building
an authentic
organisational character

25. Articulating Comms as an asset
• Reputation (the opportunity)
• Relationships (the authority)
• Cultural alignment (the reality)
• Not just an economic resource
• A way of being with stakeholders
Articulating Comms as a Competence
Articulating Comms as
organiastional DNA

27. The danger of getting it wrong

28. At stakeholder/value chain
level….
Stakeholder and financial
orientation
• Who is or should be
part of the closer
stakeholder
community?
• Who is in our value
chain?
Relationship oriented
PR contribution
• Identifying stakeholder
needs
• Negotiating
collaborations
• Upholding values
• Monitoring performance
• Managing multiple-
stakeholders

29. The company you keep….

30. At functional level….
Societal, organisational and
stakeholder focused
• What are the operational
imperatives?
• How do we implement
efficient and effective
programmes and
campaigns?
Operational competence
Comms Contribution
• Strategic programmes
• Reactive, proactive
and interactive
• Evaluated

31. Society
Corporate
Stakeholder/ value
chain
Functional
The four DNA strands
BRAND
PLANNING&FLEXING
CORE
COMPETENCE
LEADERSHIP

32. The core role in four parts
ORIENTER
NAVIGATOR
CATALYST
IMPLEMENTER

33. Why?
• a new business paradigm is emerging
• governance is at its core
• covert and overt accountability
• new issues and risks to be managed
• determines your license to operate
• a different world for CEOs and boards

34. Bankers do
God’s work
Lloyd Blankfein
CEO
Defending
Goldman
Sach’s profits
and bonus’s

35. The 4 P’s of communicative
leadership
• Purpose
• Principles
• People
• Process
you behave is the
key to legitimacy

36. At the end of the day…..
The ultimate core
competence which
communicative
leadership can bring
• legitimacy
• influence
• advocates

37. A last thought
If organisations organise
around communication
innovation will happen....this
is the condition that is
required.