My guest today is Jason Jedlinski, a digital product executive, innovator and brand builder currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Product for Gannett Media.
Jason’s career in media spans most of his life, taking root in the second grade when he began producing a monthly family newspaper. It was one of many entrepreneurial avenues Jason pursued as a child, ranging from collecting toll fees outside his father’s office to tutoring computer skills on an Apple II. A discovery-driven thinker, as an adult Jason has repeatedly reinvented his role within an organization and is clearly not afraid to leap to new opportunities.
Jason was taught by mentors to challenge everything and has disrupted his professional life so many times that I lost count. Additionally, he surrounds himself with innovative thinkers and strives to give them what they need to succeed.
“I always loved being in environments where I was not the smartest person in the room… when you’re fortunate enough to have people who are so driven and so capable and so talented, it … it’s cliché, but I’ve always seen it as my duty and responsibility to do everything I can to set them up for success.”
It’s the kind of leadership and management that everyone hopes for in a boss. Jason is unafraid of giving credit where credit is due and lauds the accomplishments and talents of those who work with him while advocating for what they need. He takes leadership to the next level, not only playing defense but offense, as he clears paths and gives his team space to solve problems he doesn’t even know exist (yet).
But don’t just take my word for it: join us as we discuss Jason’s humble entrepreneurial beginnings in his family’s basement, how he took on market risk and created his own job opportunities, and the time he went all the way to the C-Suite on the 24th floor to tell the powers-that-be there was a more efficient way to complete the project he’d been assigned (something he still can’t believe he did!)
Listen to the episode in the player above, or download and enjoy it on iTunes. If you’re so inclined, please leave us a review!
Takeaways from this episode:
- It’s possible to still work within a corporate culture even if you have a deeply rooted entrepreneurial spirit (like Jason). Find ways to disrupt yourself in your role, and be willing to take on market risk in order to leap forward.
- Barriers to success are in our mind. Don’t talk yourself out of something before you’ve even tried.
- Be discovery-driven and let your path unfold in front of you. If you need some extra courage before you leap to a new learning curve, join our free email course based on this podcast.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
- Jason Jedlinski – Twitter | LinkedIn
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
- The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci
- Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 101: Erik and Emily Orton
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 97: Dan Shapero
- Preparing for Change Mini-Course
- Build an A-Team: Play to Their Strengths and Lead Them Up the Learning Curve by Whitney Johnson
- Download a free chapter from Build an A-Team
