On Tuesday, April 22, Invoice Owens, longtime govt producer of CBS’ 60 Minutes, introduced his resignation, citing a lack of editorial independence. Owens’ resignation got here amid a authorized dispute between President Donald Trump and CBS, and his exit technique affords us a uncommon public glimpse into what it means to guide with integrity throughout a disaster.
Right here’s what we are able to study from Invoice Owens’ latest resignation from 60 Minutes:
1. You possibly can pull off a relaxed exit in a storm
After working at CBS for 37 years, Owens’ resolution to not transfer ahead with the community displays his stance on reporting and serves as a robust response to mounting political strain. However, as an alternative of ruffling feathers, his exit message to employees targeted on his editorial ideas {and professional} requirements, serving as a blueprint for easy methods to go away a job with conviction and composure.
“Over the previous months, it has additionally grow to be clear that I’d not be allowed to run the present as I’ve at all times run it. To make unbiased selections primarily based on what was proper for 60 Minutes, proper for the viewers,” Owens wrote in a memo despatched to 60 Minutes employees.
2. When your values are compromised, it’s time to stroll away
In a world the place longevity is usually mistaken for loyalty, Owens reminds us that moral management is outlined by understanding when to say goodbye. He made his stance on journalistic integrity loud and clear. In his resignation, the media skilled fearlessly defended his editorial selections and made it clear that he might not keep in his position at CBS, because it didn’t align together with his skilled values. “The present is just too necessary to the nation. It has to proceed, simply not with me as the manager producer,” he wrote in his exit memo.
The underside line is, Owens felt micromanaged by company and political strain and refused to toe the road. He made a tricky resolution to resign from a task that he cherished however that not mirrored his values. He didn’t criticize the present or its workforce; he simply left.
3. Your model is value greater than any paycheck
A testomony to Owens’ braveness and energy as a frontrunner is the overwhelming response from his colleagues, lots of whom have labored alongside him for many years.
Owens’ resignation has garnered a wave of respect and reverence, with a latest CBS Information section paying tribute to his 37-year profession, knowledge and editorial integrity. CBS Information president Wendy McMahon stated that working with Owens “has been one of many nice privileges of my profession.” McMahon praised Owens and reiterated her personal dedication to “standing behind what he stood for” and “guaranteeing that the mission and the work stay [the] precedence.”
Owens’ actions when confronted with a troublesome resolution display the reality about genuine management—when your office’s imaginative and prescient not aligns together with your values, it’s time to make a transfer. Owens didn’t simply resign; he modeled what it seems prefer to stroll away with integrity.
Picture by Naypong Studio/Shutterstock
