Radio executives spend plenty of time talking about culture. Fewer of them, however, spend time studying how to build one. That’s a shame, because some of the best ideas on the subject are sitting on a bookshelf — or in your earbuds.
I’ve grown into an audiobook lover in recent years. Being able to digest information that way is something I’ve come to appreciate. Even better, I love reading about different strategies and philosophies.
So, I’ve compiled a list of four books I wish every radio leader would read. Each one offers a way to think about strategy and philosophy. Together, they show how leadership shapes culture at the smallest and largest companies in the space.
#1) The No Asshole Rule by Robert Sutton
Do you want to work with an asshole? Probably not. Do you want to work for one? Probably not, either.
If you can shape and enforce a company’s culture, that’s a big responsibility. Hiring is where it starts. Sutton’s book makes the case plainly: don’t hire assholes. Better yet, don’t keep them around because they produce good numbers. A toxic star drains everyone nearby. Therefore, protect your culture first, and the results will follow.
#2) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
There’s a decent chance you’ve read this one if you work in the upper echelons of corporate leadership. Justifiably so. It’s a helpful thought starter on what’s going wrong in your organization, and it creates options for fixing it.
Some of the best professional conversations I’ve ever had came from reading this book with other leaders at my company. It lets you examine both the company and yourself. For example, what I viewed as a dysfunction with my co-workers had more to do with me than with them. Meanwhile, they highlighted our company’s issues and how we could grow together to fix them. It can be a powerful exercise.
#3) Life’s Little Instruction Book by H. Jackson Brown Jr.
I loved this book and wish more people would read it. Across the three volumes, there are 1,560 entries. They range from “Don’t fry bacon without a shirt on” to “Say ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ a lot” and “Compliment three people every day.”
One of the best entries applies directly here: “In business and in family relationships, remember that the most important thing is trust.”
If you can read these instructions with a light-hearted demeanor, I’d like to think it translates to your work, too. After all, nobody dies when you screw up in radio. Well, except for that Hold Your Wee for a Wii fiasco. Otherwise, nobody dies. The business is serious, yes, but it’s best performed with fun, passion, and excitement. This book helps instill that.
#4) Know What Matters by Ron Shaich
Piggybacking off that last point, I think some folks in the business don’t understand that this is supposed to be fun. That matters, and in my view, it’s imperative to business success. In Know What Matters, Panera Bread founder and former CEO Ron Shaich lays out that perspective. It boils down to this: “The key to knowledge is to know thyself.”
Some leaders in the space misunderstand that fundamental idea. You might think, “But I don’t like Panera Bread! Why should I listen to the founder when I don’t like the product he created?” And I’m right there with you! Do I like Panera Bread? God no. It’s hospital food. And if I wanted to eat hospital food, I’d be honest with my therapist.
Still, Shaich’s way of thinking about a business is worth the listen/read. What matters about the business? What matters about the culture, and how do you shape and control it?
Radio leaders don’t need to read all four tomorrow. However, picking up even one would start a conversation worth having. Culture doesn’t fix itself, and these books offer a place to start.
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