In an environment of elevated stakes, communications can no more be considered a soft skill for leaders, establishes Pfizer’s chief corporate affairs officer Sally Susman in Breaking Through. She tells us how the company managed the massive communication challenge during Covid-19 and why winning people’s hearts and minds was as crucial as creating an effective vaccine. Edited excerpts from an interview:
Q. How do you perceive the link between communications and leadership in the context of the 21st century?
Communications and leadership are not only entwined, but also inseparable. In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and our executive committee recognised that our actions, and how we communicated them to the world, would paint a vivid picture of our corporate citizenship. It would become a statement of our company character.