To be a successful public relations practitioner demands a wide range of quality and skills. The man or woman who aspires to reach the top rank needs to have sound judgment, personal integrity, a specialist knowledge of methods of communication, organizing ability of a high standard, and above all a strong personality and a capacity for leadership.

There is not room at the top for everybody, and many people prefer to specialize in particular branch of the work, such as in media, films, or exhibitions. Having experiences in all branches of public relations before deciding to specialize is a great benefit. This is because no part of public relations is in a completely watertight compartment, and even in large departments where the work is sectionalized it is almost useful to be able to double up in case of sicknesses or emergency.

The following list gives the necessary qualities:

1. Abundant common sense
2. First-class organizing ability
3. Good judgment, objectivity, and keen critical faculty
4. Imagination, and the ability to be tolerant to others’
5. An infinite capacity for taking pains
6. A lively inquisitive mind
7. Willingness to work long and inconvenient hours when necessary
8. Resilience, have a great sense of humour
9. Flexibility and the ability to deal with many different problems at the same time.
10. Ability to write, capable of correcting and sub-editing other people’s writing.

Five Deadly Sins

1. Never speak of public relations in highfalutin mumbo-jumbo
2. Do not seek personal publicity
3. Never apologize for the views of the chairman or other CEOs
4. Never patronize or talk down to the press
5. Never think of, or speak of, press relations as being synonymous with public relations (Read: because it is not!)

(Source : Practical Public Relations, S. Black)