“You make a pros and cons list. And then you ignore the list and go with your gut.” Lisa Irenius explained how she decided to take on the dual role of Editor-in-Chief and CEO at Svenska Dagbladet, even though the change from her previous position as Culture Editor was daunting.
Irenius was part of a panel at World News Media Congress that brought together three executives who are relatively new in their current positions.
‘Be hard on the problem but soft on the person’
Dmitry Shishkin talked about how he approached his role as CEO of Ringier Media International, in terms of engaging with the teams he works with:
“It was all about learning and not immediately saying that you know everything. I wanted to keep my mouth shut for at least six months. My teams might learn something from me, but I’m learning much more from them.”
“Letting people know that you believe in them is probably greatest gift you can give. You should believe in people and then leave them alone.”
“Ask yourself how you want to be treated yourself. Be hard on the problem but soft on the person. Remember that there is a human being in front of you.”
Lisa Irenius (left) and Dean Roper
Each brand requires a unique organisational approach
Lisa Irenius explained how Schibsted‘s various media brands are managed, especially in the context of a major newsroom restructuring that Svenska Dagladet recently underwent:
“All the media houses in Schibsted work closely together, share a lot of learning and have common resources and teams. But they also work very independently. There is no one at the group level coming to us and telling us how to organise the newsroom.”
“Each brand is unique. We have some very big brands, and the brands have their unique cultures and identities. And in order to foster that, you have to have different types of organisations.”
Empathy: An underrated leadership skill
Xenia Daum explained how empathy has played a key role in her position as CEO of Kleine Zeitung:
“Empathy is one of the most underrated skills in leadership. So many good managers create KPIs and business models. But media business is absolutely a people business.”
“If you want to bring your team along all the way to your target, you have to listen to them, you have to communicate with them.”
“When I started, I had to dismiss 86 people. I had to give each of them at least one meeting. It was a hard time, but I still connected and tried to help them. That was very important, also for the people who stayed in the company: if they see that you care about those who are leaving, they know you care about them, too.”
