Jamie Baillie Translates Client Goals into Government Communications Success on ‘Profiles in Leadership’ Podcast Series

Jamie Baillie, Managing Director for Atlantic Canada, was recently featured on Episode 2 of Samuel Associates’ new Profiles in Leadership podcast series. Hosted by Chief Strategy Associate Jerry Pitzul, the podcast looks at how the career successes of the firm’s Senior Associates can translate into assisting clients in achieving their business objectives.

During the seven-minute interview, Jamie draws on his past experiences in Nova Scotian politics to describe his concept of leadership. He defines it as a “special skill”, combining vision, passion, and the ability to persuade followers. He furthermore cautions against becoming too involved with the day-to-day operation of one’s organization, as part of good leadership is knowing when to delegate responsibility.

Rather than being a Chief Executive Officer, Jamie explains that leaders ought to devote their time to being ‘Chief People Officers’. People are the lifeblood of any organization, and great leaders should be intimately involved with identifying, recruiting, motivating, compensating, and managing their talent. Jamie stresses the importance of cultural fit and company values: “You define it, you live it, you insist on it.”

Samuel Associates, as a government relations and strategic consultancy firm, aims to produce alignment between the public and private sectors. Oftentimes this process requires translation and an openness to discovering new goals on both sides. Jamie notes that this is a unique skillset, and that at some point in the life of one’s company it will become necessary to communicate with the government in order to achieve success.

Jamie proudly concludes that Samuel Associates always goes the extra mile to understand client objectives and strategically advise on the best path forward, even if it involves divergence from a client’s initial expectations. “That [kind of specialized advice] is invaluable.”

To get in touch with Jamie and the rest of the Samuel Associates team, contact us at info@samuel.associates.