Take Theodore Roosevelt’s advice: Dare greatly

By Bob Davis

Picture a scene in the boardroom of a large newspaper chain. I have just presented a proposal that will require a considerable investment but will deliver a fantastic return. It’s decision time, yet many of the leaders in the room seem only to be looking at their shoes. At last a mid-level manager speaks up. “This is a great idea,” he says. “I think we should do it.” What a hero!

Now is prime time for newspaper managers who can take charge, influence others and exert authority. The young man in the scene above owns the project. If it works, it will make his career.

In my ongoing work with newspapers over the years, I have seen what makes leaders highly effective—and what makes them less effective or even paralyzed—during trying times.

Being decisive, taking action

The young mid-level manager who speaks up for action while others contemplate their shoe shines is an example of what it takes to be highly effective—quick decisions. True, the industry is in uncharted waters right now, and nobody will make the right move every time. But it is better to make mistakes once in a while than to do nothing for fear of making the wrong decision. Such paralysis will doom the newspaper to continued decline in circulation and advertising revenue.

Consider this quotation from Theodore Roosevelt. “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Supporting top performance

Besides decisiveness and taking action, it is critical in these times for executives and managers to ask their people to function at their very best. This does not mean pushing them beyond reason or burning them out. Instead, leaders must set goals that are worthy of the highest aspirations of the group and communicate those goals over and over again until they are accomplished.

Do you expect a great deal from your people? If asked, would they say you are always testing their limits? Would they say you have high aspirations for them? Would they know their top priority?

What’s more, have you made sure they have the skills and training to achieve their goals? Screams from the stands don’t get baseball players their hits. Batting practice does. Your people can excel only if you make sure they have the skills, training and tools to excel.

Having a sense of urgency

Thriving despite today’s challenges in our industry requires a sense of urgency. One successful executive I know is an excellent example. As publisher for one newspaper and regional vice-president of a group of newspapers, he:

• Returns all calls within 24 hours.
• Returns all email with 24 hours.
• Makes decisions quickly. (On one Monday I sent him four large proposals requiring big-dollar decisions. By the end of the week he had rejected three and accepted one.)
• Does what he says he will do, when he says he will do it.

The fire of enthusiasm

Finally, a leader’s ability to help people feel good about themselves and their work is the very essence of leadership. Toward that end, leaders capture followers emotionally with enthusiasm. So, do you light your fire of enthusiasm every day before you arrive at work? Doing so brings positive energy into the organization—not only among subordinates but also among colleagues and superiors.