Learning never stops. We should stay hands-on with emerging technologies, especially AI and digital tools to upskill. The Public Relations fraternity can redefine the narrative, shaping a world where communication transcends mere information and truly resonates with every human being.
Surge, the third book in the trilogy by Amith Prabhu and Sarika Chavan, brings together stories of 46 corporate communications leaders. Each story is inspiring and offers a unique perspective and every one of them holds a powerful lesson. A lesson to remember.
The book covers stories ranging from the journey of a young girl who dreamt of riding a Shikara and went on to create social impact, to experiences of navigating dark phases that led to career re-evaluation. Across decades and sectors, one constant remains, the power of communication. The most effective leadership styles are rooted in empathy, clarity and action. Leadership is all about building cultures where people can thrive and where purpose fuels performance.
The book shares stories from senior professionals about how they balanced their careers through different life stages, from being single, to getting married, starting a family and still building successful careers. The book bring out a key ingredient that any professional should develop key skills such as honest messaging, conviction in oneself, the ability to navigate change, the power of being good with people and differentiation in innovation.
The desire to start one’s own business is both challenging and emotional because a lot is at stake. Several CCOs have taken the plunge, and the book shares those tales. This book also gives confidence and shows how becoming fearless helps you decide to be an entrepreneur and reminds you that learning is a constant process. One of the highlights for me is how important mentorship is throughout a career. Having a good mentor teaches you to be confident in making decisions that help you work with dignity and respect, even if it means giving up a client.
The book talks about that one thing has not changed is the need for good and creative content. In today’s cluttered world, if you are not different, you will not stand out. It is important to understand your audience and create content that connects and resonates with them.
It is an underlying fact that sometimes one does not choose the career path or profile they wish to work for, in fact, the path chooses them. Often, our natural inclinations lead us toward a career that fits, even if we never planned to stay in that sector. In many ways, the career chooses you as much as you choose it.
Another important takeaway from the book is that you do not always need a detailed plan for everything, Sometimes, it is okay to let things flow naturally. The key is to focus on making a meaningful impact. The approach can be simple, do the work, build credibility within the system, prove yourself and the rest will follow.
The case studies, big brand launches and behind-the-scenes stories from professionals show the real magic behind their success. The deep understanding of how brands are built, from marketing to consumer insights to storytelling and messaging comes through. Every page has some inspiration.
A piece of advice I want to follow is to practice humility and honesty more often, making them my guiding principles for both my career and personal growth. Often, people do not expect us to solve their problems, they just want to feel understood. A simple “I see what you’re going through” or “I appreciate your efforts” can make a big difference.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, whether you are part of the fraternity or not
