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Jayhawks in leadership positions are everywhere you look, including through the Jayhawk Career Network. KU Alumni, in partnership with SumnerOne, is highlighting Jayhawk leaders who are models for others in their industries with our “Copy the Leader” program.
What do you do in your work?
I manage the day-to-day operations for six radio stations in Houston, Texas, four FM music stations and two AM sports talk stations, as well as the play-by-play partnership with the Houston Texans, our live events, and our digital channels and podcasts. I also am in charge of strategic vision for the group, making sure the stations mirror the demographics and tastes of our local community and making changes when they don’t.
What are the qualities of a good leader?
This has changed over time. Prior to 2020, I would have said solid strategic planning, unwavering focus on that plan, and strong customer relationship skills. Over the past four years, this has evolved to: the ability to be agile with strategic plans, willingness to evolve quickly to accommodate changing marketplace/employee conditions and needs, and marketing acumen. Today’s leader can’t be singularly focused or rigid when it comes to anything, really. The marketplace is changing quickly and your employees and customers expect you to change with it.
How do you practice leadership at your job?
I try to lead from the front. I work hard to set an example across all departments. I stay close to sales and interface constantly with clients to make sure our product offering is matching their marketing objectives. I hold focus groups to hear what the listeners are wanting more and less of, and how they’re using emerging technology, particularly our app, YouTube and Twitch streams, and social media feeds. I also focus on FUN. We have quarterly meetings with some sort of theme to celebrate our wins, an annual community service day, and a massive Halloween Costume Contest that has evolved into full-blown skits with choreography. We work really hard, but in a hybrid work environment, it’s become even more important to create team fun.
What makes a team or group successful?
Belief. A team has to understand the mission of the organization and their role in its success. It sounds simple, but it is not. You think everyone knows and cares as much as you, but you have to say it so much you’re sick of saying it, and then you have to keep saying it. Clearly communicating the mission over and over again and making sure each individual employee understands how their role contributes to that success is hard. It can very easily get lost, especially in a highly-tense environment such as legacy radio where we are constantly fighting to survive. It can pull a leader off the strategy and into the tactics. If you can get everyone to believe, you will succeed.
How can leaders in your industry help their organizations adapt to change?
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We have to keep learning and growing ourselves. I graduated from KU before digital was even a talking point, so during the pandemic I went back to get my Masters Degree in Digital Content Strategy in order to lead our team forward. I participate in all social media, learned how to edit and create TikTok videos, and am very active in watching our socials to see what our listeners gravitate toward. We can’t say “that’s for the kids, we just do radio” because then you’ve lost. If you want to lead it, you have to live it.