Jeff Smulyan: 'Attract The Best People, Treat Them Well, And Let Them Do Their Job'

Jeff Smulyan

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR featured an interview over the weekend that reporter JILL PHILLIPS had with EMMIS CEO JEFF SMULYAN discussing leadership and success.

When asked, "How do you define leadership?" SMULYAN said, "The best definition I’ve ever heard of leadership was from the late BUM PHILLIPS. In talking about another legendary football coach, DON SHULA, PHILLIPS said -- I’m paraphrasing here -- 'He can take his guys, and beat yours, and then he can take your guys, and beat his'. Leadership is about getting the most out of your people, and building a team that wins."

In an insight to his management style, SMULYAN responded to the question, "What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?" by saying, "Attract the best people, treat them well, and let them do their job. If you want people to go through walls for you, you have to go through more walls for them."

When asked, "How has your industry changed?" SMULYAN noted, "The perception has changed more than the reality. The perception is it has suffered; the reality is that the consumption of over-the-air radio has held up remarkably well. We have to change that perception and use technology to our benefit, which we think we can with our FM chips in cell phones initiative. A decade from now, over-the-air radio will still be here, as it has been for 100 years. Its core strengths -- localization, portability and universal, free distribution -- won’t change."

Read the full interview here.

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