Diffuse, Dissect and Demystify: Interview with Former TV Anchor and CDC Executive Loretta Lepore
I recently went one on one with former TV anchor and CDC executive Loretta Lepore. Among her many professional experiences, Loretta has served as Senior Strategic Communications and External Relations Advisor to the Director of the CDC; Press Secretary and Senior Advisor to the Governor of Georgia; and an anchor for CNN Headline News.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Loretta: Thank you for the opportunity to share my story with your readers.
As a young journalist, the challenges associated with learning in a fast-paced, competitive, and evolving 24/7 broadcasting industry were daunting and exhilarating at the same time. There is no filter for inadequacies in front of the camera, so you learn quickly to answer the studio call from your boss with contrition and develop a tough skin for the myriad critics. I am grateful to mentors who valued my work ethic, nurtured aspirations and continue to guide in the journey to this day.
Fundamentally, my professional growth resulted from embracing risk, taking quantum leaps of faith, and believing in my ability to rise to the occasion. While my career decisions have charted a non-linear path, central to each transition has been a vigilance to keep an eye on the world around me and see opportunity when presented.
Case in point was my transition from media to public service, working as press secretary to the governor of Georgia. There I learned to traverse a steep learning curve. This involved peppering my gifted and patient teammates with questions about policy and the never-ending stream of acronyms as we collaboratively distilled complex matters into digestible, relevant information.
These combined experiences helped shape the runway to launch a strategic communications and government relations consultancy during the recession. I cannot say that risk or failure were welcome on my doorstep, but it was clear they would forever be my neighbors. Easing into this realization freed me to be more innovative, purposefully designing a firm suited to supporting clients amid an ailing economy. There were, of course, some embarrassing belly flops along the way, but those episodes only helped to finesse execution of the next dive.
Adam: You were a Senior Advisor to the Director of the CDC as coronavirus broke out and exploded into a pandemic. What are your biggest takeaways and best lessons learned from that experience?
Loretta: In my role, I witnessed the exceptionalism, commitment and tirelessness of individuals across the nation who daily confront unprecedented circumstances presented by this devastating global coronavirus pandemic. It was an honor and privilege to serve with the thousands of public health professionals who are CDC.
Even before the pandemic, it was abundantly clear that the nation’s public health infrastructure had been woefully under-resourced for decades. Hospitals and healthcare systems are increasingly overburdened. What the pandemic illuminated for all Americans is that these two systems are inextricably linked, and left unattended, are rough currents capable of capsizing the nation’s economic stability. Furthermore, the country’s overall well-being is only as strong as its appetite to address social, health and education inequities which tie back to economic vitality, too.
Clear, concise and consistent communication is central to any effective emergency response. It is just as vital as advanced technology for data collection and analytics, laboratory diagnostics, and deployment of frontline workers. Delivering directional communication at the right time, in the right way, is fundamental to moving society to action.
Adam: You were in a key communication role during a time period when there were competing pressures around messaging. How did you manage the inbound political pressure and what are the keys to managing competing priorities and interests?
Loretta: While I have managed crisis communication in a number of different scenarios, this most recent experience took me to a pinnacle where I harnessed all the tools and expertise acquired over the entirety of my career. The rapid spread of the pandemic combined with a turbulent political environment was the proverbial “perfect storm.” In any crisis, you must be rock solid, confident in your training and anchored to your foundation – the principles and values that shape your professional and personal core.
I found, as I have in most situations, an effective way to manage political pressure or competing interests is to diffuse, dissect, and demystify the issue at hand. Getting people to talk through their points of view and state objectives can lead to finding common ground. If this process is challenged, as it was on occasion, then you have to be prepared to hold your ground, even when that entails saying no and accepting the consequences.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topic of communications?
Loretta: Communications professionals are artisans with a craft that involves molding ideas, shaping messages and threading storylines. With every new write there is deference to a few fundamentals.
Compelling communication is rooted in expressive storytelling. Words and phrases should evoke an emotion, enticing the reader or viewer to want more. Descriptives should tickle the senses, tapping remembrances and creature comforts. Detailed imagery should paint a visual that depicts what may not be tangible.
Delivering impactful communication that resonates requires knowing the audience. Who are you trying to reach and why do they care what you have to say?
Borrowing from a wide-ranging palette, layer in the tone of the voice appropriate to the audience and issue at hand. This may be playful or disciplined, forthright or relaxed.
Bottom line: The goal is to craft rather than draft content, even bedazzle it if need be, to motivate audiences to take a desired action.
Adam: What are your best lessons learned from your days as a television anchor and correspondent?
Loretta: Working in a 24/7 news environment, it’s important to be able to think on your feet at all times. For me, that meant staying abreast of happenings around the globe, not just what was on the prompter in front of me or a notepad in the field. Often, context for a story meant being able to draw upon the broader geopolitical landscape or the latest pop culture phenomenon.
There is no “I” in team and no story or newscast makes it to air without the talents of the entire crew. I had the privilege of working with some of the most talented writers, photographers, producers, and editors in the business. They challenged me to better my craft.
And, observe what people are not saying with their words but are saying with their body language.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Being a good listener. Listening informs a better response.
Motivating a team in a common purpose. Providing clear direction, eliciting idea sharing, and fostering inclusivity and collaboration optimizes performance, a mutually rewarding experience.
Mentoring individuals to their highest potential. Transformation can be awe inspiring.
Being Humble. Acknowledge what you don’t know and surround yourself with others who do know.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Loretta: The evolution of leadership is constant. The learning curve never bends because there are always new dynamics introduced into the workplace.
As leadership is a continuum of learning, building a core support network of mentors, friends and colleagues whom you trust and admire can inform decision-making, provide lessons learned and lead to advice you may not want to hear, but need to know. They can be your peripheral vision.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Develop your personal brand, one that reflects your unique style and is authentic to the values you espouse. This exercise will make you a more effective ambassador for your company’s brand.
Study, prepare, and then wing it. If you stumble and fall, dust yourself off and repeat.
Be mindful that the goal is to do the most good for the greatest number of people.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Loretta: My mother advised me as a young woman to allow people grace - whether they are right or wrong. It is a much better look, she said, than simply confronting people with the facts. This advice combined with a little diplomacy has served me well.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Loretta: One of the secrets to being a good communicator is knowing when to stop talking.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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