Mike Allen, an accomplished American political journalist and co-founder of Axios, discusses the importance of individualization as a strength for journalists. He also highlights the power of building personal relationships and the impact of small gestures. Allen shares insights on why Axios sends daily emails and how it benefits their audience. Additionally, he explores the significance of competition in leadership and the importance of inspiring hope through effective communication.
Individualization is crucial for journalists and leaders to understand others, their strengths, and communicate effectively.
Positivity plays a crucial role in journalism by focusing on reality, highlighting problems, and offering solutions to rebuild trust in the media.
Deep dives
The Power of Individualization in Journalism
Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios, discusses how individualization is a crucial strength for journalists and anyone in any field. He emphasizes the importance of listening and learning from others, understanding what makes them tick, and avoiding the pitfalls of talking too much. Allen believes that a leader should possess pattern recognition skills to see how individuals fit into the bigger picture and help them understand their own strengths. By thinking about what others would do in certain situations, journalists can think critically about the individual players within politics and effectively communicate with their audience.
Positivity and Objective Journalism
Despite the inherent negativity that often surrounds politics, Mike Allen explains how positivity plays a crucial role in journalism. He approaches news clinically, avoiding bias and maintaining a focus on reality. Allen believes that highlighting problems is important, but it is equally crucial to look for solutions and recognize that most people in the world are normal, rather than focusing solely on the extremes. By presenting news with sanity and looking at what works, journalists can help rebuild trust in the media.
The Influence of Self-Assurance and Confidence
Mike Allen discusses the importance of self-assurance as a strength in leadership and journalism. He explains that if you can convince others of a great idea or lead with confidence, they will likely follow. Allen emphasizes the value of speaking up, taking charge, and making sure others are heard. He believes that self-assurance is contagious and that intensely believing in your ideas and conveying that belief to others is vital for success. Additionally, he highlights the significance of trust-building and delivering content that respects the audience's time and intelligence.
In this episode, we have the privilege of welcoming Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios. An accomplished American political journalist whose influence resonates far and wide. As the co-founder and executive editor of Axios, and a former chief political reporter for Politico, Mike’s career has been marked by his dedication to insightful reporting and his impact on shaping political discourse.
Mike’s contributions have been nothing short of transformative. His dedication to insightful reporting has shaped the landscape of American political journalism and earned him the moniker "The Man The White House Wakes Up To" for his correspondence with the White House.
Mike’s Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Individualization, Relator, Activator, Positivity and Self-Assurance.
For more interviews visit leadingwithstrengths.com
Transcripts available upon request.
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