CHAPTER 1

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, multidisciplinary 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 ...

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