Trying to manage a best friend or an apathetic freshman or even a social enemy might seem impossible. How do you get your newspaper staff to listen to you, their peer?
Jill Geisler of Poynter’s leadership faculty distinguishes a manager from a leader this way: “Put simply, people are required to follow a manager; they choose to follow a leader.” In other words, become a leader and make your staff want to follow your direction.
In “Building a Busting Newsroom Trust: A Top-10 List,” Geisler outlines 10 qualities that encourage trust, a key leadership ingredient. They are:
Expertise (know your stuff!)
Communicate information effectively
Offer feedback- Give credit for good work and take blame for mistakes
- Advocate (defend your staff)
- Let go when staff members need to move on or move up
- Keep confidences
- Walk/talk (practice what you preach)
- Don’t engage in trash talk
- Follow up on ideas
Being a leader is challenging in any environment. Leaders are held to higher standards and rarely can they meet them all. But developing these skills and character traits now will help you succeed in your newsroom and your career.
