A Level 5 Leader

Jim Collin's describes a level 5 leader as one who is selfless, has professional will, and personal humility. It has been said that Peter Jennings has been a leader in the broadcast journalism industry since he became the youngest anchor at age 26 with ABC Networks. Through the years, Jennings established himself as the number one foreign correspondent for ABC, often working overseas to be in the midst of crises.

In an article posted on the journalistic website, poynter.com, it was written that "He carried a copy of the U.S. Constitution in his back pocket and his responsibility as a journalist next to his heart." This demonstrates that as a leader and innovator in the journalistic community, he regarded his position and place as a reporter as first and was extremely dedicated and committed to his cause. In addition, Jenning's presence "inspire[s] every anchor ... to be as passionate about the product, as connected to content and as uncompromising about excellence as he was" (poynter.com). As a leader and inspiration to others, Jennings used his zest for reporting and investigating to influence others and gain the reputation that he has. ABC News considers Jennings to be one of the most independent, distinguished, and successful broadcast journalists to have ever worked at their network. ABC recognized that "in broadcast journalism, Jennings had a reputation for putting the most complex and difficult issues on the agenda when others largely ignored them," which is why Jennings was one of the few to have his own special primetime show, Peter Jennings Reporting, in addition to his position as a reporter in World News Tonight. Along with Collin's ideals of a Level 5 leader of selflessness and commitment, his efforts towards his career were noted by other networks in addition to ABC, where he worked. He was reviewed in magazines such as TV Guide, which called him "the center of gravity," as well as in the Washington Post where it was written that "Jennings, in his shirt sleeves, did a Herculean job of coverage." This was after he reported the events of September 11, when he was on air for over 60 hours that week, more than any other anchor. Jennings always looked to the future to take on news stories that were difficult, challenging, and new.

As a leader, Jennings continues even after his death to be an inspiration to many up and coming broadcast journalists. His charisma and persona enabled him to work with many and be well liked. Balancing personal humility and professional will allows Peter Jennings to be classified as a level 5 leader, an executive in his field. To this day, Jennings is still the youngest anchor to ever be hired by a network and boasts more awards than any other journalist. As he has shown, one must be aggressive, take risk and action, in order to succeed and be an innovator in his/her field.





http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=34&aid=87149
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=126542
http://www.wikipedia.org