When Leaders Are at Their Best
“FEARLESS.” That’s what it says in bold white letters on a black bracelet that Barby Siegel wears.1 She borrowed it from her teenage daughter to serve as a daily reminder of the spirit she likes to bring to her role as CEO of Zeno Group, an award-winning, multidisci- plinary public relations firm. And it’s exactly that kind of spirit that fueled the extraordinary growth and willingness to take risks that PRWeek cited in 2011 when it awarded Zeno two of its top honors— Agency of the Year and Midsize Agency of the Year.
But Zeno wasn’t always at the head of its class. When Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Zeno’s parent company, Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., called Barby and asked her to lead Zeno to the next level, the agency was languishing. Barby, who had honed her craft over eleven years at Edelman and then for eight years at Ogilvy PR, where she restarted their global consumer marketing practice, was ready for a new opportunity and challenge.
Barby knew Zeno had a great team and a solid client base, but for them to grow to the next level, she believed that they had to get
G E some early game-changing wins. And to do that they’d need some
of that fearlessness that she proudly advocates for with her bracelet. She would tell them, “We need to stand on our own two feet and not be afraid because we’re Zeno that we can’t go after this piece of business or that we’re not going to be taken seriously.” She talked about it as “playing ahead of the game—ahead of where we really were.” It didn’t take long for this focused determination and can-do spirit to spread.
One of Barby’s early actions was to hold a day-and-a-half leader- ship team meeting with her direct reports. Together they talked about such basic questions as “Who are we? What are we focusing on?” The conversations and sharing of ideas were galvanizing, and during that meeting they came up with the words that they envi- sioned as describing themselves. These words—fearless, collaborative, creative, decidedly different, and nimble—are their values and their promise to their clients.
Zeno describes itself as providing “senior level strategy and day- to-day engagement” and as having “no silos,” and you can see this in Barby’s actions. For example, she has spent many a night in the conference room with team members preparing decks for client presentations. And if she’s not working on a presentation, she might be at the local grocer buying snacks to take back to the room. She’s present at client pitches. She also spends as much time as she can with staff. Barby takes this responsibility seriously. “I often say, ‘I am privileged to lead this team.’ I am. Without them we’d be nothing. I need all these people to bring their best game every day. I wake up every day and say, What can I do to make sure these people are happy and energetic, that they’re going to stay and continue to give our clients their best work every day?”
These sentiments are reciprocated by her associates. Alison Walsh, account supervisor, affirms that “when you have a CEO who
is so ingrained in the agency, staff, and each and every one of the clients, you only want to push yourself further.” Because Barby is so transparent about her values and vision for the organization, “There’s no question,” according to Alison, “that people want to follow her.”
Barby describes the Zeno corporate culture as one that promotes hard work and continued success while also encouraging work-life balance and individualism. “I’m sure many companies describe themselves as a family,” says Barby. “We take it seriously.” For example, there are a lot of women in the firm, and Barby takes her role as a woman CEO very seriously. “I want them to see that it’s possible to have a really great career and have a family and do all the things that that entails.” She talks a lot about her own kids, her husband, her two older sisters, and her elderly parents. She’ll tell her staff when she goes out to have lunch with her parents. “I want them to know that it’s okay to get out of the office for a couple of hours and tend to their families.” She has a photo gallery in her office with lots of family pictures displayed along with photos of agency get- togethers and some of the staff and their babies. “I’m very mindful,” says Barby, “that the staff is like me. We all have mortgages to pay. Many have children to raise. When I make decisions about what the firm is going to do, I am mindful that at the end of the day there are hundreds of families depending on our doing right for our clients.”
Unlike traditional agencies, Zeno is an organization without walls, where everyone, regardless of level, routinely works together on all aspects of a client engagement. “Everyone is treated with great respect,” said Cheryl Pellegrino, senior vice president. “There is a strong sense of collaboration and teamwork. People genuinely like one another and work well together. It’s all for one and one for all.” Barby has structured the organization and assignments so that people
G E literally have to work with one another, learn from one another, and
celebrate together. Marcie Kohenak, account supervisor, adds that whereas many agencies may say they’re one team, “Zeno walks the walk. Never before have I worked in an office where colleagues are so collaborative, looking out for clients and the teams before them- selves, and where individuals from different offices and fields are always working together. Not only does this attitude benefit our clients, who are always being served by a subject matter expert, but as employees we have the opportunity to constantly grow, working with and learning from colleagues across the country.”
Zeno is also unique in the PR business in how it manages its books: all offices operate under one P&L. If a client in Chicago needs the expertise of someone in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, or São Paulo, there’s no conflict or conversation about it. Barby said that this means that “the staff can just do their best work, and don’t need to feel pulled by one P&L or another. Everyone is focusing on our client’s success.”
Collaborating across offices to get the job done also facilitates innovation and experimentation. Creativity is hugely important to Barby. “We want to be creative in everything we do, even in the most mundane tasks,” she said. This is what, in large part, keeps Jessica Vitale, vice president, with Zeno. “You get countless opportunities to work on exciting projects for clients who are leaders in their field, and the chance to work alongside incredibly smart, passionate people across multiple offices who provide great support and encourage, even push, you to grow,” she said. This learning environment, Barby explained, “helps all of us to think differently, to be unafraid to experiment and try some things that have not been done before.”
There are many celebrations over the year, such as the Friday after-work sing-alongs and other informal get-togethers and recogni-
tions. Barby established an annual New Year’s Eve party every June 30, the end of Zeno’s fiscal year. On that day, all the offices connect by teleconference. They pop champagne and raise a virtual toast. Barby reflects on what they’ve accomplished and talks about what’s ahead in the future. Then all the offices continue with their own celebrations.
In an end-of-year email to her staff, Barby summed up Zeno’s achievements and culture:
Each of you played a major role in the success of our firm, and each of you are key to the journey that continues. . . . [Words of praise] should be aimed squarely at you for the amazing work you and your teams have delivered and the ever-deepening client partnerships you are forging. . . . As we close out the year, I am more excited than ever for what’s to come, and there isn’t a group of professionals I would rather do it with day in and day out.
We have much to look forward to. Some days will be harder than others but we are on a mission to take this firm to greater heights on the shoulders of client trust and partnership, game-changing work and a talented and highly motivated staff. I think we have seen that when we band together we can really do it.
Barby is not one to rest on her laurels, though. The recognition Zeno has earned is just the beginning. “I can’t just live in the present,” she said. “I’ve got to always be thinking about the next thing we should be working on and where we’re headed, whether geographically or with innovation or talent.” No doubt that the next thing is likely to require more of that same fearlessness that got Barby and her colleagues to where they are today.