When Sandy Rowe retired as editor of the Oregonian,one of the many who considers her to be a mentor passed along six lessons she learned from Rowe.
The first was how to listen.
In a News Leadership 3.0 posting for the Knight Digital Media Center, Michele McLellan wrote:
"I remember when Sandy first arrived at The Oregonian in 1993. She scheduled one-on-one interviews with pretty much everyone in the newsroom staff. When my turn came, I was struck at how intently she listened. No fidgeting, no looking around or peeking at the clock. Total focus. Eye contact. No speeches. Lots of questions, many of them gently challenging.
"I was astonished. A new forty-something editor who had just crossed the continent to take over a flailing, demanding newsroom in a strange town. Total focus. My 15-minute interview turned into an hour-plus conversation."
