Successful completion of a master’s degree program and its foundation for career success were powerfully woven into a recommendation-filled message by veteran communications leader Kathryn Beiser during her recent “mini-commencement address” to graduates of the PROCOM grad program at DePaul University.
“Kathy’s remarks to Cohort 4 were an important and timely reminder that career journeys are not just about one’s own advancement, but about helping to develop and advance others,” explained Matt Ragas, PROCMN founder and director of graduate studies at DePaul’s College of Communications, told graduates. The list of rising communication leaders that Kathy has helped mentor and advocate for over the years is long. There is joy in celebrating the professional successes of others.”
Following is a summary of Kathy’s thoughtful remarks to the PROCOM Class of 2025:
Behind every decision to pursue a graduate degree is the idea that it will help us be more successful. Quite rightly, we believe our new knowledge and skills will enhance our performance, leading to more opportunities for advancement, more responsibility and better compensation.
Certainly, those definitions of success are valid, and when I graduated with my master’s degree, they were at the top of my list.
From where I sit today, however, I see success differently. What I wish I’d known earlier in my career, and what I’d like to suggest to all of you, is that success is more about IMPACT and less about personal achievement.
My strong belief is that by focusing on our IMPACT – on the lives we touch, the organizations we serve and the change we spark – we actually reach our potential more quickly. Along the way, we enjoy more fulfilling careers and lives.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts on reframing career success as impact.
Start with People
We often say that communications is a “people business.” As we advance in our careers, however, we quickly realize that we’re in the problem-solving business. Sometimes, too, we can get so focused on solving problems that we don’t keep people front and center.
I urge you to keep people as your north star by:
- Leading with empathy, with listening and learning.
- Being an ally, a collaborator and a mentor.
- Setting clear goals and performance expectations.
- Giving your teams the agency to execute—we need to get out of the way and let our people run.
- Shining the light on your teams when they succeed and taking the heat when things don’t go well.
- Finding ways to be a force multiplier. As you progress in your career, your job is to help your people have greater impact – by removing barriers, prioritizing and finding ways to supercharge their efforts.
And make no mistake about it, everyone in business today is being challenged to move more efficiently and effectively. We need to think like a Chief Operating Officer and increase the impact of our work with the resources we have.
Focus on the How and not just the What
I’ve often heard people in our profession say that communicators are the “conscience of the corporation.” Perhaps, but I think this position assumes incorrectly that no one else in the company is concerned about doing the right thing, about protecting people and building reputation. During my career, I’ve found that nearly all executives and employees share these important goals.
What communicators are particularly good at, though, is helping organizations quickly arrive at the best answers and approaches. I attribute this superpower to our ability to:
- See issues and opportunities through the lens of multiple stakeholders.
- Predict how decisions and actions might be judged in the court of public opinion.
- Verbalize what others are thinking.
- Connect the dots.
- Build bridges.
As you progress in your career, your impact will be felt in your organization by how well you bring insights and ideas to your colleagues, particular those outside of the communications function, by.
- Remembering you’re a company leader first, not just the company communicator.
- Losing your comms jargon and speaking the language of the business.
- Put yourself on the same side of the table as your colleagues.
- Having a great questioning strategy – sometimes the most radical thing you can do is ask a new question as it can change everything.
Keep in mind, too, that impact isn’t always loud – it can be quiet, subtle and behind the scenes. I’ve done some of my best transformational work in “stealth mode,” quietly lining up supporters and leading movements from the back of the room.
Think Generationally
I urge all of you to think beyond your careers and your organizations and consider the ripple effects of your actions on future generations, on the planet, on culture.
We all have the power to engage and affect long-term results and relationships. Our choices, both large and small, contribute to our legacies as professionals, and, most importantly, as human beings.
So go forth, newly fortified with your graduate degrees, and make your mark. Make it meaningful. Make it last. And if you focus on your impact, I have no doubt that you will find career success along the way.
Kathy Pays It Forward
I will always remember Kathy’s positive reception to an idea I floated for my Leadership 2.0 course shortly after I started teaching at DePaul. She didn’t hesitate when I asked if she and the President of Discover would visit my class to discuss the the role and expections of a CCO. Students were glued to the President’s candid insights, followed by a longer discussion with Kathy. Afterward, several of the students said they wanted to pursue corporate PR careers.
Colleague Matt Ragas also recalls an important experience made possible by Kathy. “Thanks to the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and its educator fellows’ program, many years ago I was paired with the Discover corporate communication team back when Kathy was the chief communications officer. I like to joke that I was her ‘summer intern’,” Matt explained.
“This was a tremendous experience. I learned so much from Kathy and her team that summer, and I brought back those learnings into my DePaul classrooms. For many years since, Kathy and her former team members, even as some have changed jobs or even retired, have served as guest speakers and case study judges in my classes. Kathy’s dedication to education and giving back – and inspiring this in others – shines bright so it was an easy decision to invite her to be our keynote speaker at this year’s Showcase event for our graduating Pro Comm MA students.”
About Kathy: After beginning her career at Burson-Marsteller, she went on to hold senior positions at top agencies and corporations (APCO and Edelman on the agency side) as well as Discover, Hilton Hotels, and Kaiser Permanente and most recently at Eli Lilly and Company.