Learning to be a bit more like Betsy

I’ve never met my favorite leader.

Never shaken her hand nor had the pleasure of gleaning her advice over coffee. But, she’s the reason that I believe in the goodness of my future career. She’s the reason that I even have a glimmer of hope for making any kind of impact on the public relations industry.

Although I’ve never met my favorite leader, I’ve listened carefully to multiple people who knew her well while she was alive. “She made you feel like you were the only person in the room,” they tell me. She was a wonderful leader because she looked beyond herself. She climbed the ladder of success to where she wanted to be and then extended a hand to help others see the view. That’s my definition of a true leader: someone who realizes their accomplishments are worthless if they are not shared, celebrated, enjoyed with and used to empower others.

Although I’ve never met my favorite leader, her photograph hangs in my mind and reveals itself whenever I’m asked to think about what I want to do with my life. I picture her pink blazer and warm smile and I remember that there’s peace beyond tough days and there are people who have lived fully immersed in the public relations industry and made a lasting impact.

Betsy Plank, the first lady of public relations, was not only successful because all the firsts she achieved. She was successful because she never stopped looking for ways to serve others. For this, Betsy is my favorite leader.