Leadership Profile: Maggie Wilderotter (Part 14)

Maggie and I finish our discussion of McClathcy newspapers, and then she provides words of wisdom for aspiring CEO’s and young entreperneurs.

SM: McClatchy has definitely seen a drop in advertising on the print side. MW: There has been a drop in revenue, and it has been publicly reported, especially in some of the vertical areas. Advertisers have gone more to the web for areas such as employment. McClatchy is also a part owner of CareerBuilder.com, which is the number one website for employment. They acquired that through the Knight Ridder acquisition. They have some good things going. It is going to be a tough couple of years as they weather the changes.

SM: It seems that in those vertical areas such as employment, real estate, classifieds, travel, they could even acquire something. There is so much startup activity, at least in Silicon Valley; there are at least 50 in each area. I believe in the next 15 months those markets are going to crash a bit because there are over investments. McClatchy should be able to pick up some companies for a very reasonable price. MW: That is always an option.

SM: Any parting comments in terms of navigating a career based on what you have learned, for young leaders who want to have a CEO career? MW: There are a couple of things.

First, always focus on the customer and remember it is the customer that pays your paycheck.

Second, no matter what job you take, envision what that job should be, not what the job is today. Grow the value of that job by delivering value to your company.

Third, I would recommend taking opportunities to learn the operations side of the business and to get P&L experience. That might mean taking a lateral move, or even a move backwards, but to provide yourself with general management experience gives you a great foundation to run a company in the long run.

Fourth, I also suggest taking calculated risks. At the end of the day, it is not about staying in your comfort zone, it is about pushing yourself and getting outside of that comfort zone. Do things differently and be a catalyst for change.

Finally, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are. Great people really matter, and great leadership is about knowing you do not have all of the answers. You need great people around you to do a great job.

[Part 1]
[Part 2]
[Part 3]
[Part 4]
[Part 5]
[Part 6]
[Part 7]
[Part 8]
[Part 9]
[Part 10]
[Part 11]
[Part 12]
[Part 13]

This segment is part 14 in the series : Leadership Profile: Maggie Wilderotter
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