ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a News Media Case in which Jill Abramson was appointed Executive Editor at The New York Times in September of 2011, the first female to lead the newspaper. She would be fired from that position within 3 years. Based on information available, her gruff style never allowed her to get much support among her team members; she seemed to lack team leadership skills, contributing to an inability to motivate others effectively and with humility. While her initiative and work ethic helped her gain the trust of colleagues and executive boards in higher positions, it did not translate well once she was in a high-level executive position. She recognizes, reasonably, a need to shift vision and structure to remain competitive. She needs to help motivate others toward a change without forcing it upon them unilaterally.
