This article was originally published by The Fix and is republished here with permission. Learn about the latest from the world of European media by signing up for their newsletter.
As many in the media have learned the hard way, good journalists are not necessarily good managers. But some can be, especially with the right training. Many of the traits that make one a good reporter, like curiosity and interpersonal skills, are no less relevant for managerial roles.
How does one pivot from chasing stories to steering entire teams? The Fix has interviewed dozens of media leaders, many of whom started their career as reporters.
Here’s a roundup of five insights we learned from their paths.
(1) To make the leap, show initiative and think past the traditional church/state model
To get promoted, you need to be proactive and show initiative. Brad Wolverton, editorial director of HubSpot Media Network, suggests taking on smaller management opportunities before making the leap. “Take opportunities to mentor people and take opportunities to raise your hand when the team is going through strategic planning processes and participate [...] just test the waters.”
- One practical advice from Thomas Seymat, who used to work as editorial projects and development manager at Euronews, is to find money for a new project, such as by leading a grant application. Your contribution will naturally position you to oversee the project you helped finance.
On a more philosophical level, the advice from Raju Narisetti, who leads publishing at McKinsey, is to think beyond the traditional church and state model of journalism and embrace the intersections of editorial, business and product/tech. “I would encourage people to [...] think about how church and state can work together. ‘What are the skills I need? What do I bring? What do I not have?’”
(2) As a manager, be generous with your time – and willing to help others
Kait Bolongaro, who leads a 30-people team covering Europe at MLex Market Insight, believes that a good manager should also have “the heart of a teacher.” Mentoring more junior team members is a big part of the job. “You have to go in willing to invest in people and be generous with your experience, try to find ways that you can help them.”
Brad Wolverton offers an even more direct comparison between a managerial job and teaching. “I come from a family of teachers. My mom was a teacher, my brother is a professor, and educators tend to want to help people. I feel like I have an empathetic side to want to help the teams and to help elevate the teams.”
(3) Learn to “take your ego out of the equation”
Star reporters are used to the limelight. Your byline is your brand, and seeing your name on a big story is exhilarating. Editors and managers, on the other hand, do their best work in nurturing talent, improving other people’s work, and creating an environment where others can shine.
Kait Bolongaro advises journalists who transition to management to be prepared “to take your ego out of the equation.” “Reporters are used to getting the glory for big stories or a job well done, where editors and managers are more behind the scenes,” she points out.
- One potential solution is blocking some time for doing creative work as an individual contributor, whether as part of your main job or by launching a side project. Gerbert van Loenen leads a team of trainers at DPG Media but still makes sure to spend around one-third of his working time developing his own programmes. Brad Wolverton leads a 40-people team by day but writes his own newsletter in his personal time.
(4) Cultivate diverse interests
The higher up the chain you are, the more diverse skill set is required. Raju Narisetti says he tries to be “a couple of inches deep but a mile wide.”
Narisetti believes leaders should foster diverse interests and a broad awareness rather than focusing on a single area of expertise. There’s a significant advantage in being a jack-of-all-trades capable of linking seemingly unrelated concepts and identifying broad patterns.
“Often you have colleagues, people in the team who are very specialised that you can turn to. What you sometimes don’t have is a bunch of people who are broadly aware of a lot of things.”
(5) Lean on your storytelling skills
Gerbert van Loenen points out that reporters are natural storytellers – a skill that is no less relevant for leaders.
“I know we do need KPIs and clear objectives, but it’s not the centre of being a leader. The center of being a leader is telling a story. Where are we going? Why are we going there? How are we going there? What is the room of maneuver? What do I ask from the others to reach the goals? Leading is very much about storytelling, and the same is important in journalism.”
Photo by Microsoft 365 on Unsplash.