August 23, 2019
What leadership qualities do you admire the most from a manager’s perspective up and down the chain of command?
 Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia: Honesty, integrity and the ability to communicate and listen effectively, efficient follow through on all promises, managing each direct report differently depending on their personality, and being able to inspire, motivate and bring a team together to achieve a clearly defined goal.
Matt Johnson, KSLZ: No surprises, going up or down the chain of command. That can prevent a lot of hurt feelings and potential disasters. It’s served me well, in both directions, throughout my career.
Josh Wolff, WAEB: Mutual respect, trust, honesty, intelligence, and a sense of humor. Kobe, WWHT: Empathy. It’s one of the most valuable qualities a leader could possess and it’s one of the qualities I’ve tried to improve on.
Jonathan Reed, WNOK: Vision, respect and being able to get down in the trenches and fight on the frontlines with support is everything. Jeff Hurley, WLAN: Embrace and display an empathetic and collaborative spirit. Chris Michaels, FM100: I like direct feedback, so I know what’s expected, what the goal is, and the mission. I also like collaborating on ideas to help us all grow as a team!
Fish, WKRZ: Faith and trust in the people below them to make the decisions that are proper for the radio station. If they were trained correctly, that shouldn’t be an issue.
|
Kobi, WNRW/WLGX: Respect, patience, being humble, and having good sense of humor!
Bartel. WKTU: The ability to cultivate a strong staff morale.
Rick Vaughn, KENZ: Strategic thinking. People who see this business as a battlefield make more effective plans, and ultimately win. Jagger, WKSS/WKCI: The ability to be human. There are going to be days when people on your team are having a down day and you need to recognize that and listen to people, hear them out, and respond to them in a human way. That’s a big quality and means a lot to me and the sign of a great leader. Many people in my career have been that kind of leader to me and I try to be that to my team as well. Mike “OD” O’Donnell, WKRZ: The ability to really listen and consider your subordinate’s point of view, and not being a micro-manager of every department.
Todd Shannon, WAPE: Emotional intelligence. It’s something I’ve been preaching for years to my staff, and I think the earlier you learn it and understand it, the better off your personal life and career will be. You have to know who you are, know when to use it in specific situations, and you have to understand how to control it. A.J. Cobian, WIOV: No-holds-barred constructive criticism. I respect a manager who wants you to be the best at what you can do!
|
 Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: The ability to communicate effectively without it coming across as a force-down. Also, being a good listener is half the battle.
Chris K, The End: Leading by example and leading with encouragement. Having the ability to recognize that your staff is all not the same person and different people need to be managed different ways. A good leader knows how to inspire each person differently. Buzz Knight, Beasley Media Group: Resilience, curiosity, and empathy.
Joey Brooks, WHYI/WMIA: Honesty and clear communication. Bob Patrick, WXLK: Honesty is the clear #1. Lying or not being completely upfront about anything and everything makes no sense and simply hinders business. Rod Phillips, iHeartMedia: The thing I struggle with most, in this crazy technology-drunk world of ours, is what I admire most about folks who seem to handle it seamlessly. Simply keeping up with so many arms of communication. It’s tougher than ever to manage our time (work and family) and those that manage best are both impressive and annoying.
Matt Talluto, WBYR: Acknowledging a job well done goes so far. Also helpful criticism and most importantly, giving creative people (jocks) the freedom to be creative. Van Gogh didn’t become Van Gogh because a PD was over his shoulder dictating every stroke of the brush. Todd Lyons, KATS:I’ve always admired managers that could actually do many of the jobs/tasks that are required of the employee. |
Justin Chase, Beasley Media Group: I admire leaders that lead by example. Someone who doesn’t just talk, but gets stuff done. Someone who “puts the pen to the paper” and isn’t afraid to “get their hands dirty” from time to time. This quality is noticed and admired by people up and down the chain of command.
Sassy, WKXJ: If they really listen to me vent. Even if there’s nothing they can do about it, just them listening to me and taking the time to do so is very much appreciate.
Dom Theodore, Radio Animal Media Strategies: I admire fearless managers that aren’t afraid to take creative risks and allow those that work for them the autonomy they need to succeed.
Toby Knapp, WASH: Vision. Passion. Strategic tenacity. Loyalty. A motivational force. Compassion. Selflessness. Effective coaches who make their team reach for greatness. Heart. I’d walk through fire for these leaders and they know who they are.
Valentine, WBHT: Transparency/communication, trust, respect, those are the top ones that I feel allow both parties to fully understand each other and any situation that arises. Also being honest and being a good person.
Kevin Kash, WWEG: The ability to build positive relationships both within the building and the community. Sets the tone for a winning atmosphere.
Java Joel, WAKS: The good managers are the ones that inspire, have passion, attention-to-detail and don’t get all knee-jerk/reactionary when their employees fail at trying new things.
Rob Roberts, Cox Media Group: Understanding a programmer’s day-to-day timeline and the ability to make life better for those being led.Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
What are some of the consistencies you see among higher performing radio stations?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@fmqb.com or bburke@fmqb.com
