After more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, it can be hard to quantify the ways in which we have changed. Our pandemic coverage helps us understand the industry impact, and it seems unlikely that any of our content has been untouched by the unique circumstances that have taken root since the start of 2020.

But so much of that change has occurred at a human level, where many of the lessons emerge from the various conversations and anecdotes that underpin our stories and events. To better showcase these learnings, and provide a measure of insight into how the global PR industry is responding to such a transformative era, this series asks people what they have learned, according to three specific areas.

In the latest installment in our series, we hear from Kaplow founder Liz Kaplow, whose belief in the power of relationships, storytelling and pause was bolstered during the pandemic.

Three things I've learned... 

Career
I have always believed in the power of relationships. The pandemic reinforced this and had a profound effect on me as a leader. I learned that the greatest gift I could give, was to bring out the best in the people around me, to listen and to make deeper connections with the team and our clients. This collaborative leadership style has helped yield lasting change, propelling a culture of trust, respect, energy and enthusiasm. 

PR
As an industry, the pandemic earned us greater confidence in our value. Brands intrinsically understood the importance of communicating with their stakeholders at a whole new level. The role of the executive as storyteller became that much more important and the C-suite has emerged with greater personality and humanity. Public relations practitioners, long misunderstood and sometimes undervalued, should sit up a little taller and hold their heads a little higher.

Personal
Through the pandemic, I learned the importance of the pause. As time went on, I began to see that pausing at key moments didn’t slow things down, but rather provided greater clarity and perspective. Patience, humor and listening are all vastly underrated. Pausing to remember this has made life fuller.   

If you'd like to share your three lessons, please let us know.