Breaking The News: 4 Leadership Lessons From CNN’s CEO Removal
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After a short and tumultuous 13-month tenure, CNN CEO Chris Licht was ousted from the news network last month. His departure came after a decidedly unflattering profile piece The Atlanticwhich highlighted numerous missteps that led many at CNN to question Licht’s leadership.
The challenge Licht faced when he assumed the role of CEO was a common one for any leader taking the helm of a new organization: How do you drive change without alienating the workforce? How do you build the employee trust that is essential to the success of any change effort?
Licht’s solution to this challenge didn’t satisfy many members of his team (and, perhaps most importantly, his boss: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav). Licht’s experience, however, offers several valuable lessons for anyone taking on a new leadership role, whether as a CEO or even a front-line supervisor:
1. Don’t look down on your predecessor.
From the beginning of his tenure as CEO, Licht made no secret of his disdain for his predecessor, Jeff Zucker. (After nearly a decade at the helm of CNN, Zucker resigned in February 2022 after failing to disclose a consensual relationship with another top CNN executive.) The Atlantic article described Licht as “having at work, telling his employees that the network had lost its way. under former chairman Jeff Zucker.”
It is very easy – and tempting – for newly installed leaders to portray an old regime in a negative light. It feeds into a “savior narrative” that appeals to most any business professional (ie, “this place is in shambles due to previous mismanagement, but luckily, I’m here to change that”) .
The problem is that new leaders always have to assume that there is a part of the workforce that actually liked and was loyal to the previous regime. Unbridled criticism of a predecessor will alienate these workers just when a new leader should be cultivating their support. Also, belittling the organization you’ve inherited can make existing employees feel like their past contributions are being discounted.
The best approach is to achieve a more balanced tone. Acknowledge past successes, while highlighting opportunities for improvement. Keep it professional, not personal; if possible, avoid highlighting predecessors and instead talk more holistically about the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. The goal is to get existing employees to see that their new leader has respect and appreciation for the organization’s past accomplishments, even though that leader might also have designs on a very different future state.
2. Stay close to your staff, literally and figuratively.
One of the first decisions Licht made upon joining CNN involved something that, on the surface, might seem low stakes: choosing office space. Instead of moving into Zucker’s old office, which was near CNN’s key studios and control rooms, Licht moved into an entirely different floor, in an isolated space that most of the personally did not know As The Atlantic put it, Licht’s new office “became a symbol [his] relation to his workforce: he was independent, distant, inaccessible in every way.”
Employees are always scrutinizing leaders’ words and actions for cues. Even something as seemingly innocuous as an office location and decorations can help shape people’s perception of what kind of leader you are: approachable or aloof, warm or cold, modest or self-aggrandizing.
Zappos CEO, the late Tony Hsieh, put his office on the same open floor plan as all his employees. It had no door and was furnished with the same desk where all the other Zappos workers sat. This was no accident. Hsieh was very aware of the signals he was sending as a leader, and he was very deliberate in the messages he telegraphed.
If you want to build trust with a newly inherited team, you need to show up and be really approachable. Accomplish this by positioning yourself close to your teams, if possible. Make frequent listening visits and spend time with employees, seeking their opinions and soliciting their ideas for improvement.
If employees feel like you’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them and including them in the effort to evolve the organization, they’re much more likely to keep an open mind to the changes you’re pushing for, rather than rejecting them outright. .
3. Do not speak in generalities; Be specific.
Each new leader brings with them a new vision of the organization they are overseeing. Licht was no different, making “big pronouncements” (to use his words) about the kind of news channel CNN should be. These pronouncements, however, were rarely accompanied by specific guidance, leaving even Licht’s defenders inside CNN confused. News producers and show hosts were left to interpret Licht’s vision for themselves, without the benefit of more prescriptive direction from the boss who highlighted what he liked and didn’t like about past CNNs.
Employees need to know what “right” looks like. It is easy for a leader to make sweeping statements (“we need to be more innovative” or “more customer focused” or “provide better service”). But the biggest challenge is making sure staff know exactly what you want them to do differently when they return to their shop, studio, desk or wherever they work.
Yes, paint a compelling portrait of where you want the organization to be in the future. But also be sure to fill in some of the details, so your team has a better understanding of what tactics they should use to help turn your vision into a reality.
4. Be humbly confident.
Perhaps Licht’s most illuminating admission in his interview with The Atlantic was the admission that “his biggest mistake had been to set the place on fire, determined to prove he was in charge.”
It’s a common misstep with newly installed leaders, and usually a reflection of their own insecurities. They feel compelled to assert themselves, to tangibly demonstrate their competence and control. However, as Licht eventually realized, this approach can leave a rather negative impression on the workforce, making a new leader seem more brash than bold, more ignorant than informed. In retrospect, Licht admitted he should have come more slowly, taking time to learn more about his new organization and what his predecessor had done right.
To be a good leader, you must start by being a good listener. When you take on the leadership of a new team, be confident but humble. Acknowledge what you don’t know and take the time to learn from your staff and peers. You might end up making decisions they don’t agree with, but at least they’ll see that you’ve put effort into educating yourself, with the goal of making better, more informed judgments.
Being selected to take on a new leadership role, no matter how big or small, can be an exhilarating experience. However, it is easy for leaders to get caught up in this illusion. In their zeal to quickly put their stamp on an organization, leaders often take actions that sabotage rather than strengthen their credibility.
Ultimately, your success in a new leadership role will depend on your engagement with those in your charge; just remember that you can’t expect their loyalty, you have to earn it.
Jon Picoult is the author of FROM IMPRESSED TO OBSESSED: 12 Principles to Turn Customers and Employees into Lifelong Fans. Sign up for their monthly customer experience and leadership e-newsletter here.
