Lead Like an Editor by Victor Maze

Victor Maze

Author

Lead Like an Editor

In today’s crowded marketplace, selling a quality product is not enough. To stand out, businesses must tell compelling stories and build relationships with potential customers—and prospective employees—who have become evermore discerning, supporting companies that align with their own values. While this may seem daunting, it can be done. In fact, magazine editors have mastered these skills for decades, creating trusted brands that attract loyal followers in their longtime readers and dedicated staffers, who often live out the messages of the publications in their own lives. With more than two decades of experience building brands at the world’s largest media companies, Victor Maze pulls back the curtain, revealing the leadership secrets of top editors—many of whom have gone on to run the content and marketing departments of major corporations ranging from Netflix to Nike. In this book, you will learn how to: • Hire and lead a team of passionate, engaged people. • Inspire others with optimism while articulating a clear vision and mission. • Make tough decisions with ease using three proven frameworks. • Cultivate a devoted audience that feels an instant connection to your brand. • Craft a message that resonates and empowers your audience. • Create a product that offers both style and substance Lead Like an Editor transforms the way you lead people, tell stories, and achieve success.

Reviews

Maze draws on his years of experience in the media industry, including stints as art director for Parenting and design director at Coastal Living, to transform the art of magazine writing and editing into an energetic, actionable leadership playbook. Maze’s deep background in publishing offers readers a unique twist on standard corporate leadership coaching: he reimagines leadership as a creative process, drawing parallels between the skills and attitudes necessary to thrive at the helm of a publication and the universal pillars of business success: building an effective team, establishing a vision, connecting with an audience, and refining your product and message.

Though comprehensive and wide-ranging, Lead Like an Editor reads quickly due to its engaging writing and effective structure. Maze organizes his leadership philosophy through the acronym MY STAMP, which encapsulates the essential areas for readers to focus on: Mindset, [developing] Yourself, Structure, Team, Audience, Message, and Product. Each chapter explores its focus through Maze’s personal experience, case studies, research, and advice from experts ranging from Disney’s Bob Iger to Martha Stewart. These concrete illustrations help convert complex concepts into digestible, practical steps, which are reinforced in synopses after each chapter and a downloadable workbook.

Maze gives fascinating insight into the fast-paced world of magazine publishing, from identifying and naming trends to the pressure of shipping an issue to the printer on time. While examples like these may feel less accessible to readers outside the print world, Maze takes care to extrapolate how “the editor’s edge” can help managers and entrepreneurs in any field to level up. His high standards—he encourages showing up to work sick in most circumstances, and he advocates for “work/life brilliance” instead of work/life balance—might intimidate some, but his enthusiasm is persuasive and infectious. His advice will motivate anyone eager to grow professionally and provide them with tools to make a meaningful impact on their careers.

Takeaway: Practical leadership strategies drawn from the world of magazine publishing.

Comparable Titles: Ed Catmull’s Creativity, Inc., Kerrie Flanagan’s Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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