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Bad News Days Taught Me Everything I Need to Know About Good Leadership
For many years, my workday was guided by the scope and number of crises in the world; that’s what happens when you work for a national news outlet or manage communications for an organization that responds to disasters.My training in the field began at my first job as a desk assistant in a network TV newsroom. The job entailed such tedious tasks as distributing newspapers and answering the phone for writers and producers. Several colossal news events occurred that year: the return of the Americans held hostage in Iran, the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat and the attempted assassinations of Pope John Paul II and President Reagan. Each time the news wires rang out the latest news flash, I observed a senior editor or producer spur the entire newsroom staff into high-speed action.I witnessed senior managers rapidly gather, share and analyze data. During the brief period before a reporter went on the air, plans were developed and information was collated for interim news reports and evening programs.
A decade later, I was managing communications for American Red Cross Disaster Services. In that job I honed critical skills for successfully leading a team and communicating with external audiences. Any senior executive might benefit from the lessons I learned, especially when the pressure is on:
- • Stay calm and focused no matter how hectic things get.
- • Articulate a clear vision that brings the organization’s mission to life. It will help
- motivate and keep everyone on track.
- • Be both analytical and strategic in your planning. A knee-jerk response can be
- more damaging than more thoughtful action.
- • If you make a mistake, admit it, apologize and take corrective action immediately.
- Denial has the appearance of arrogance, creates resentment and builds mistrust.
- • Believe in the old adage that sometimes when it rains, it pours. Crises often
- happen in clusters. So, stay ahead of the curve by simultaneously preparing for new challenges while you manage the issue at hand.
7 Comments for this Post
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