By Darren Gilbert
Instead, Leibrandt will tell you that she plans to work harder.
“The award sits on my desk, so it is fairly difficult to ignore,” jokes Leibrandt, “and the attention is great for the first few days, but it doesn’t change much. There are always new battles to be won and things to learn.” And in a fast-paced industry such as PR, today’s winner can quickly become tomorrow’s has-been, she adds.
It is for this very reason that Leibrandt doesn’t plan on letting the award go to her head. Or even let it affect the way she works. “It’s a cool thing to have on my shelf,” she admits, “but it’s also a constant reminder to never become complacent, and to constantly evolve and upskill myself.”
The fact that she is at Ogilvy & Mather – and has been for the past two and a half years – gives her a distinct advantage. “Having the opportunity to work at one of Africa’s top agencies has been an incredible experience,” she says, “as I’ve been able to work alongside some of the best talent in the business.” Ogilvy also invests a lot in its employees, both from a cultural and developmental point of view. The upshot is a workforce that is not only primed for growth but continually striving to produce the best work.
For Leibrandt, that means growing into her personal vision of what a strong PR leader is. This includes the fact that you need to be a perpetual opportunist and courageous enough to try new things. “You must be able to lead and inspire. You must be open to experimentation, new technologies, new ways of working.” On top of that is the ability to attract, win and retain new business.
This is not going to happen overnight. Leibrandt is the first who will tell you that. She knows she has a long way to go. But she’s not afraid of hard work. “That is ultimately what I hope to someday see when I look in the mirror. This is the ‘who’ I want to be. The ‘where’ and the ‘how’ may change along the journey, but I don’t think the ‘who’ should,” says Leibrandt.
As for advice for anyone looking to succeed in the world of PR, Leibrandt points out that excellent written and verbal communication skills are not all that’s important. You need “curiosity that borders on nosiness and the ability to juggle multiple balls and work under intense pressure while making it look like you just stepped out of a meditation session”.
It’s equally important to make it your business to know you client’s business inside out and see yourself as a partner and not a service provider. Integrity, empathy and kindness, always. After all, as Leibrandt points out, PR professionals are enlisted in an advisory capacity; not as robots that mindlessly execute without ever questioning.
For more information, visit www.ogilvy.co.za. Alternatively, connect with Leibrandt on Twitter.