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For communications leaders navigating rapid change and the rise of artificial intelligence, being a good leader may no longer be enough.
Exceptional leaders distinguish themselves through distinctly human qualities such as empathy, listening and gratitude, David Grossman, APR, Fellow PRSA, said during PRSA’s Aug. 24 Member Mondays livestream.
“Good isn’t good enough anymore,” said Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group and author of the new book “The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders.”
For the book, Grossman worked with The Harris Poll to ask employees about their leaders — “the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said.
The employees surveyed “divided their leaders into three buckets,” Grossman said. “They said about 16% of leaders are outdated, running from an old playbook. At the other end, about 30% are exceptional, the best of the best. In the middle, we have 54% of leaders who employees say are good. That’s where I am, and maybe you are, too.”
But being considered a good leader doesn’t necessarily mean employees are thriving.
“Less than 20% of employees working for a good leader felt seen, felt heard, and felt like they were reaching their full potential,” Grossman said.
These good leaders were trained for stable times, he said, but “We’re not in stable times today.”
Today’s leaders need to rethink their attitudes “about being open, about unlearning, in some cases, what we’ve learned in the past,” Grossman said. “Because there are new skills needed today that will help us move from good to exceptional.”
Heide Harrell, M.A., APR, PRSA’s 2026 chair and host of Member Mondays, agreed that unlearning can be difficult.
“It’s so easy to stick with, ‘This is the way it’s always been done,’” Harrell said. “But we’re living in times where the way it’s always been done doesn’t work anymore. It requires different thinking.”
Grossman said he has observed “an invisible, quiet failure” among good leaders in organizations today, which he likens to a slow leak that can cause costly damage in the long term.
From good to exceptional
To elevate themselves from good to exceptional, leaders must make their employees feel seen and heard and help them reach their full potential, Grossman said.
Good leaders thank team members for their work contributions and provide support. Exceptional leaders, however, recognize both the work and the person.
Grossman, a self-described Broadway fan, said that just as every musical’s protagonist sings an “I want” song that makes clear what they hope for, business leaders must understand what their employees want, too.
“The question for us as leaders is, ‘Do you know what that song is? Do you know what’s important to every single individual on your team?’” he said. “Because when you do, you can recognize their work in the context of what’s important to them.”
Why gratitude matters
The No. 1 factor that differentiates exceptional leaders from good leaders is gratitude, Grossman said.
“We need to provide that gratitude in a way that’s not just about the work, but about the person and the contributions they make,” he said. “The top thing that you can do to move toward becoming an exceptional leader is to share gratitude.”
He urges leaders to make employees “feel seen” by expressing gratitude for what the person has done, the impact it had, “and how it connects to who that person is, and what matters to them.”
Doing so also requires leaders to make themselves more visible as people.
Leaders often wear a protective armor, Grossman said. “We think that [being] professional is super important, versus sharing parts of ourselves to help others understand who we are, and what matters to us.”
Sharing more of themselves “encourages them to share their truths, as well,” he said.
To create safe environments where employees can speak up, leaders “need to take off that armor and talk about their own mistakes and vulnerabilities.”
Ultimately, Grossman said, gratitude offers leaders one of the simplest ways to make the people around them feel valued — not only for the work they produce, but for who they are and what they contribute.
Photo credit: ryker
