‘PR industry is the most gender-neutral sector to work in’

Bushra Ismail, Founder of Confiance Communications, bagged the title of ‘CEO of the Year’ at the recently held e4m PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers Awards 2020. In her 12 years of experience across journalism, public relations and corporate communication, Ismail comes with a demonstrated history of building brands, strategy, image building, crisis management, media relations and strategic campaigns.

In today’s feature, we speak to Ismail on her big win, thoughts on female leadership, changed roles of women in the industry, her future goals and more.

Excerpts:

How do you feel about being the winner of the Women Achievers initiative?

It is without a doubt an extremely gratifying feeling to be awarded by an esteemed organization like e4m, which epitomizes credible reportage in the communications industry. I feel honoured and motivated to keep winning more accolades in the future, as well. It is also a huge validation for a young business like Confiance and a young entrepreneur like me to get recognised by a highly distinguished platform such as e4m.

What are the attributes/ qualities required to be a leader in the communication industry?

Communications is a business that requires great people skills, regardless of which end of the spectrum one looks at. Team management, media relations, client servicing are all built on the firm foundation of one’s ability to manage people well, so that comes first and foremost in my opinion. Other than that, the ability to speak your mind tactfully yet fearlessly is appreciated more often than not. So being able to communicate with clarity is another important attribute I would say. I think a good leader in this business is also one with good instincts which they can depend on while suggesting that big campaign idea to a client or a new tact/approach to their team members. What I have realised over the years is that my instinct hardly fails me and every time I really believed a strategy or an idea would sell no matter how unconventional it may be, it has worked wonders.

What role have women played in the restructuring of the industry and how has the communications industry changed over the years for the women workforce?

I think the major factor that women leaders in the communications business have contributed to, is the gender-neutrality our industry enjoys, which many sectors in India unfortunately continue to struggle with. On the change front, I do believe that women have made this industry more cutting edge, competitive and creative, and have raised the bar even higher for their male counterparts in the business. They have also played a pivotal role in proving that ambition is devoid of gender.

Why do we need to have more women leaders at the helm of organizations in today's scenario and what value do women bring to the table?

Women are great negotiators among other things. Given that a good leader is also most often a good negotiator shows that women are inherently cut out to lead and an organization that recognises this fact is not only evolved but also intelligent. Personally, I have always believed women are highly determined and resilient both of which are instrumental in this profession.  

What are your future goals? What initiative would you like to take as a responsible woman leader for the industry/society?

Confiance functions purely on meritocracy and gender has no bearing in any of our decision-making at an organisational level, so not letting gender determine factors such as recruitment, growth or allocation of clients is our way of being a responsible and forward-thinking organization.   

How do you see the PR and the corp comm industry shaping up in the years to come and your message to the future women leaders?

The way this industry has evolved over the recent years, it would honestly be hard to truly predict the trajectory hereon, but what I would say is that Public Relations has beautifully, gracefully and seamlessly adapted to changing situations and lifestyles of people over the years. As an industry, we have successfully blazed through a situation as unprecedented as Covid-19 and stood tall. In the years to follow, we will continue to shed the traditional methods of communication and craft new ones, and just when one begins to think they have finally cracked the code of PR, we will surprise them with newer, non-traditional and more upbeat ways of communication. 

My message for future women (or men) leaders is that leadership does not lie in your designation but in your approach in life, so chase after the latter and the designation will follow sooner than later.