Back before Zoom and Teams, it was a little tougher, sometimes, to pick up on what someone’s tone indicated.
But in the conversation I remember most from the early days of Donald Trump’s first presidency, it was probably a combination of devil’s advocacy, an attempt at humor in a challenging moment and genuine curiosity.
I was trying, via conference call, to lead a board of directors through a public, adverse situation and in discussing how the board should speak for itself, one of its leaders asked, “Why do we have to be careful? Trump says whatever he wants and it works for him?”
I took a deep breath and explained it as best as I could. The board ended up doing and saying the right things. The organization is thriving today. But you can bet a question like that is about to be asked of communications counsel in a similar meeting sometime soon.
So let’s be clear: We are not entering some kind of “Post Crisis Communications Era.” The voting public’s standards have changed when it comes to politics, especially at the national level. But the fundamentals of PR still apply basically everywhere else.
If you think in the next four years any leader in business, education or really any other sector would be able to survive any of the following (in no particular order), you are taking an enormous risk:
-Amplifying a conspiracy theory about the nationality of a competitor
-Inspiring an angry mob set to overthrow an act of Congress
-Being found liable for rape
-Dozens of felony convictions
-Moving confidential documents into the bathroom of the country club where you live
-Insulting a city in which you are trying to win support
-Giving two-hour monologues in public appearances
-Swaying to music on stage at a public event for more than 30 minutes
-Publicly questioning the racial identity of a competitor
-Using insulting nicknames for competitors.
Yes, all of that “worked.” But, in the real world, none of it would.
Personal and professional conduct still matters for leaders in our society. From CEOs to university presidents to football coaches, the things that leaders say and do affect reputations and impact public support.
The future of the PR business faces a high degree of uncertainty, because of business and now political changes. But one thing is highly unlikely to change: Anyone outside of politics who uses the once and future President as some sort of PR role model will find themselves in a crisis that won’t end well. Their board of directors will make sure of it.