The Time of His Life: How Luce Built a Publishing Empire
The Time of His Life: How Luce Built a Publishing Empire
Luce was proud of the empire he had built, and with a worldwide circulation of 13 million, it is not hard to see why. But how did this China-born missionary’s son create one of the most successful communications empires in history?
Risk: Before Luce came along, nobody was doing what he wanted to do. No editors were making their opinions known; no publications were exciting their readers. Luce wanted to change all of that. By personalizing his news stories, by redefining what was considered news, and by making that news appeal to his readers’ senses, Luce created a new brand of journalism, and reaped the rewards for it.
Vision: Luce once said, “Time should make enemies and Life should make friends.” Truth be told both Time and Life made enemies in the course of their lifetimes, but so too did they gain a loyal readership. Luce committed his publications to realizing a vision, and stuck to that commitment no matter what the cost.
Leadership: Luce was an opinionated man to be sure, but he also knew when it was time to stop talking and listen. By making himself approachable, by inspiring his troops, and by uniting them towards a greater common good, Luce created a loyal and motivated team around him.
Humility: Luce was a proud man who would work until no ends to achieve success. But as much as he loved success, so too did he hate failure. And that is why Luce learned early on the importance of knowing when to cut his losses. He focused on setting and achieving goals that were realistic, and refused to waste his time on lost causes.
Curiosity: While driving in a car with an associate on day, Luce turned to him and asked what the large excavation was that was passing them by. “That, Mr. Luce, is a hole in the ground,” the man said. It might be a trivial question deserving of a trivial answer, but Luce was not above asking even the small questions. Indeed, no question was not worth asking. It is precisely because of his never-ending curiosity that Luce was able to venture into new waters and expand his range of influence.
Upon his retirement, Luce made sure to quell any rumours about the fate of his company. “I want everyone to get used to the idea of what they call the Lucepapers without Luce,” he said. Luce was confident that his empire would continue to reign long after his death. Today, 43 years after his retirement and two years after his death, Time Inc. remains the largest magazine publisher in the U.S. and the U.K., and has successful franchises in all of the online, television, radio, and mobile industries. “I suggest that what we want to do is not to leave to posterity a great institution,” said Luce, “but to leave behind a great tradition of journalism ably practiced in our time.”
The Time of His Life How Luce Built a Publishing Empire
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“All our publications, all our activities, are successful,” Luce once said in looking back on his career. “They are successful not only at the box office, but they are successful also in the opinion of a large part of mankind. This is a considerable consolation for our efforts over the years.”
Luce was proud of the empire he had built, and with a worldwide circulation of 13 million, it is not hard to see why. But how did this China-born missionary’s son create one of the most successful communications empires in history?
Risk: Before Luce came along, nobody was doing what he wanted to do. No editors were making their opinions known; no publications were exciting their readers. Luce wanted to change all of that. By personalizing his news stories, by redefining what was considered news, and by making that news appeal to his readers’ senses, Luce created a new brand of journalism, and reaped the rewards for it.
Vision: Luce once said, “Time should make enemies and Life should make friends.” Truth be told both Time and Life made enemies in the course of their lifetimes, but so too did they gain a loyal readership. Luce committed his publications to realizing a vision, and stuck to that commitment no matter what the cost.
Leadership: Luce was an opinionated man to be sure, but he also knew when it was time to stop talking and listen. By making himself approachable, by inspiring his troops, and by uniting them towards a greater common good, Luce created a loyal and motivated team around him.
Humility: Luce was a proud man who would work until no ends to achieve success. But as much as he loved success, so too did he hate failure. And that is why Luce learned early on the importance of knowing when to cut his losses. He focused on setting and achieving goals that were realistic, and refused to waste his time on lost causes.
Curiosity: While driving in a car with an associate on day, Luce turned to him and asked what the large excavation was that was passing them by. “That, Mr. Luce, is a hole in the ground,” the man said. It might be a trivial question deserving of a trivial answer, but Luce was not above asking even the small questions. Indeed, no question was not worth asking. It is precisely because of his never-ending curiosity that Luce was able to venture into new waters and expand his range of influence.
Upon his retirement, Luce made sure to quell any rumours about the fate of his company. “I want everyone to get used to the idea of what they call the Lucepapers without Luce,” he said. Luce was confident that his empire would continue to reign long after his death. Today, 43 years after his retirement and two years after his death, Time Inc. remains the largest magazine publisher in the U.S. and the U.K., and has successful franchises in all of the online, television, radio, and mobile industries. “I suggest that what we want to do is not to leave to posterity a great institution,” said Luce, “but to leave behind a great tradition of journalism ably practiced in our time.”
The Time of His Life How Luce Built a Publishing Empire
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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