Playing Defense

It’s clear that most radio stations today aren't really playing to win. They're hoping not to lose.

You're hoping to keep your job. I can't blame you for that.

But it's so invigorating to work with people who believe the best defense is a great offense, people who don't just want a tenth of a point separation from other stations -- they want to dominate!

The very ideas likely to garner that kind of listener attention and response aren't safe.

Howard Stern wasn't trying to avoid being fired when he became the most famous radio person in America.

Breakthrough ideas are inherently risky and it almost goes without saying that the best ones will make you feel uncomfortable; they will cause internal debate and anxiety.

Which means they will make you and the others running your station think. They'll move you from your comfort zone.

This anxiety, and the conflict a healthy debate brings, is an opportunity to create something even better, to fine tune the idea before it hits the air.

Most of us are uncomfortable with conflict and I've seen unresolved conflict rip successful team shows apart, but there is a way to make conflict productive rather than destructive.

First, though, you need someone on your team who consistently supplies breakthrough ideas, someone who doesn't just go with the flow, who isn't afraid to speak up.

Is that scary sometimes? Absolutely!

Do you want to win or are you really just trying not to lose?

Do you want to play offense or defense?

If you said “offense” you're about to have a wildly invigorating ride to success.