When people hear the phrase “emerging leader,” they often imagine someone with a title, a big team, or a long list of accomplishments. In reality, leadership shows up long before your job description catches up. I’ve learned (and am still learning) that the people who stand out early in their careers aren’t always the loudest in the room. They’re the most consistent, the most reliable, and the most invested in the people around them.
Over the years, these are a few themes I consistently come back to in conversations with mentees, students, and peers…and the same principles I try to hold myself to.
Build the foundation: Do good work, consistently. It’s easy to underestimate how far reliability can take you. Showing up prepared, delivering thoughtful work, and following through on what you say you’ll do builds credibility faster than any self-promotion ever will. It sounds simple, but it’s not always easy, especially when you’re juggling deadlines, competing priorities, and a steep learning curve.
The people who stand out are the ones who sweat the details, ask questions early, and solve problems instead of passing them along. Over time, your work speaks for itself and people will notice.
Lead with grit and grace. Grit matters, especially in high-pressure environments. However, grace is what makes people want to work with you again. We’re all going to have tough weeks. We’re all going to make mistakes. How you handle those moments becomes part of your reputation. Staying calm, being kind under pressure, and approaching others with empathy is not only good leadership, it’s how you build strong relationships, which are the real currency in our people-driven industry.
For example, I supported a client preparing for their first World Economic Forum in Davos a few years ago. It was new territory for parts of the team, and the stakes were high, we needed to deliver results quickly while navigating long nights, many questions, and multiple stakeholders. At the same time, we had to ensure the client felt comfortable and confident throughout the experience. My leader was in the trenches with me and modeled calm, steady leadership under pressure, something I was proud to reflect back to my junior teammates. I felt comfortable going to her with any questions to align early, which helped achieve our results. We kept the energy up with humor and ended up building real trust as a team.
Network with intention. Internally, coffee chats go a long way, not only to learn from leaders, but to understand what matters to them and the business. Externally, building your presence through LinkedIn, professional groups such as PRSA (shameless plug always), or thought leadership helps shape your brand over time. You don’t have to post constantly, you just need to be consistent. (This is advice I will be personally tapping into more for 2026. I took a bit of an external hiatus in 2025, which is totally okay too, but it reminded me that people don’t know what they don’t know) You have to advocate for yourself and proactively share your goals, passions, and wins to build awareness, credibility, and a clear professional brand.
Don’t discount the little things. Some of the quickest visibility comes from being someone who makes others’ lives easier, answering a quick question, offering a helpful introduction, raising your hand to support when teams are slammed. Those small moments build trust and recognition faster than you realize. That’s one thing I love about my media network at Weber Shandwick. Our earned team is all hands-on deck to support each other even for the smallest of questions. I love jumping in (when I can) because it helps me build relationships with folks I don’t typically work with.
Keep a growth mindset. The industry moves quickly, and the leaders who rise are the ones who keep learning. Raise your hand for projects you don’t fully understand yet. Say yes to stretch opportunities. You don’t need to know everything, you just need the willingness to figure it out. I’m grateful to have teams and leaders who empower me to have a growth mindset and also contribute.
I showed an interest in learning and integrating AI at Weber and because of this curiosity, I was invited to attend SXSW to learn more about what this looks like. It was truly an incredible experience!
We’re not entitled to a strong reputation, we build it. And as we often tell clients, trust isn’t created in a single milestone moment; it’s earned through consistent actions over time, including the small ones. The best part is that this is a journey we can shape every day. Even at mid to senior levels, these lessons don’t fade, they become more important. They’re absolutely still true for me today.
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Meet Ashleigh
Ashleigh Kathryn is a manager of media relations, corporate communications & consumer at Weber Shandwick. She brings over seven years of experience in media strategy, brand storytelling, and social impact communications. She has supported clients including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Hilton, Pernod Ricard, and Nestlé USA. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida, where she introduces the world of public relations to aspiring strategic communicators.
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