I had the privilege of sitting in on a podcast recording with a guest who is the editor-in-chief of two prominent magazines. What an amazing conversation. This was a young woman whose perspective on her job, her readers, and her staff was nothing short of inspiring.
Her approach to leadership, decision-making, and editorial direction was profound. It had me reexamining my own approach to running a media outlet—from working with cross-functional teams, to ideation on promotions and sales. And, of course, programming.
When it comes to her staff, her first focus is the hiring process. She prides herself on hiring the right people for the right jobs. The second part of her strategy? Giving them the space to speak up and contribute.
She makes sure they feel heard and supported. During our conversation, she shared a story about an employee who was passionate about including something in an upcoming issue. The editor-in-chief didn’t believe it would get the results the staff member hoped for, but she still said, “I see you’re passionate about this—let’s do it.”
Her rationale? “I think you have to leave room for that 10 to 15 percent of ‘we’re just gonna try something.’ If you come to work and you don’t have at least 15 percent of what you do driven by love or passion, then why are you here?”
I loved that mindset. It reminded me of a boss I had who similarly supported me, to the extent that it helped shape how I approach programming. Once, when the ratings came in, I was concerned about one market that didn’t perform well. I walked into his office to bring it up. His response? “Ken, I know you didn’t wake up stupid this morning. Just get in there and do what you gotta do.” I wouldn’t just call that a confidence boost—it was something more. It gave me the freedom to trust my experience and lean on the data and my experience.
That was another key point the editor-in-chief emphasized: she said, “Show me the data.” While 10 to 15 percent of your work can be driven by passion, 85 to 90 percent needs to be rooted in data. She was speaking my language. Anytime a program director said they wanted to change something, my first question was always, “What do the ratings say?” There’s a reason for the adage: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
She also provided some insight into working with sales—and, in the case of radio, corporate. “We do the things we have to do, so we can do the things we want to do,” she said—another gem.
The biggest takeaway for me? Media is media. While she works in publishing, many of her experiences and challenges mirror those we face in radio. Audience is audience, whether they are listeners, viewers or readers. She may carry the title of editor-in-chief, but in her mind, she’s the CEO—and that’s the same approach I recommend for any program director.
You are the CEO of your station. That means you should be involved as allowed in every aspect of the operation.
To hear more from this incredible leader, check out the Business of the Beat podcast—available wherever you get your podcasts.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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