digital digest- From vision to action: The leadership blueprint for successful digital transformation in media

By Silence Mugadzaweta | Oct. 5, 2024 | 4 Min read

Today's media landscape highly demands leaders who understand the needs of the industry, have capacity build efficient teams and are up to date with current media trends - pic created by Adobe Firefly

RESEARCH and reality agrees that the success of every organisation depends on the quality of leadership.

Even in politics, attractive economies are a product of good leadership.

While there are many leadership styles, there is always one or two admired by people, mainly because of positive impact and results.

Many people admire Alphabet Inc, Google’s parent company and its success as the world’s biggest tech giant.

Organisations like Meta’s Facebook, Apple, Samsung and Huawei are among the top on the list of those that are said to have the best leadership, judging by expansion, innovation and being dream employers for many people.

Many journalists were caught flatfooted, waking up with leadership responsibility with no idea of “how to do it”.

The results could be grave, from creating a toxic environment where scores are settled to creating a divided organisation where the majority of the people are close relatives to the boss.

Instead of working, they spy on fellow workers on behalf of the boss and chaos is generated everywhere.

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Such is the reality of many newsrooms today, exhibiting intense leadership failure.

But the current media landscape, which has been confronted by turbulent times: technologies like AI which are threatening the existence of journalism, audience shift in preferences, new set of skills on high demand and concurrent economic recessions strongly demands professional leadership, capable of fair judgement and maintaining a value system that benefits the organisation.

The biggest question to ask every media manager is: Why should anyone be led by you?

Why should we be concerned about leadership?

Since the time of Plato, leadership has been a topical issue.

Even in dinosaur institutions, the complaint has been “we don’t have proper leadership!”, but do the shareholders and executives know these are the sentiments by the people they lead?

There is a strong conviction that we may be having a leadership crisis within media houses.

Leadership in action

American entrepreneur Andrew Crapuchettes says, “I have a strict ‘no gossip’ policy in my businesses. I often tell my employees if they come into my office and tell me ‘You as a CEO are doing a bad job’, then congratulations, you may get a raise. I want to encourage and listen to input. But if you come into my office and tell me, ‘Hey, Nick (not a real employee) is doing a bad job’, you might get fired on the spot.

He went on: “The other option is I will tell them to hold that thought while I go get the person so that the three of us can work it out in real time!”

The bottom line, according to Crapuchettes, is: “Gossip is the fast track to divisive messy office politics.”

In the digital and AI era, successful leadership in a media house requires a blend of strategic vision, adaptability and emotional intelligence.

Leaders must possess a clear strategic vision to navigate the rapidly evolving technological landscape.

This vision should encompass the integration of AI and digital tools to enhance content creation, distribution and audience engagement.

Adaptability is critical as the media industry is constantly disrupted by new technologies and changing audience behaviours.

Leaders must be open to continuous learning and willing to pivot strategies in response to emerging trends.

This includes staying informed about the latest advancements in AI and digital media, as well as fostering a culture of innovation within the organisation.

Emotional intelligence is another vital quality.

Leaders need to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their team members, to create a positive and productive work environment.

This involves effective communication, empathy and the ability to inspire and motivate employees.

Furthermore, successful leaders in the digital era must prioritise audience-centric approaches.

Understanding the needs and preferences of the audience is essential for creating relevant and engaging content.

This requires leveraging data analytics and AI to gain insights into audience behaviour and tailor content accordingly.

To complete the cycle, ethical considerations are paramount.

Leaders must ensure that AI and digital tools are used responsibly, maintaining transparency and protecting user privacy.

This builds trust with the audience and upholds the integrity of the organisation and journalism.

The quality of leadership needed for a successful media company in the digital and AI era involves strategic vision, adaptability, emotional intelligence, audience-centricity and ethical responsibility.

These qualities enable leaders to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape and drive sustainable growth and innovation.