Everyone knows executives and entrepreneurs who are super hard-core about self improvement. They pursue post-grad studies. They go on retreats, read books, listen to business podcasts, attend conferences, practice intermittent fasting, cold plunges, yoga. They're always looking for a hack. An edge. Something to help them level up 1%. Something that will make them smarter, better prepared, more successful.

Many of these leaders share a common vulnerability. They don't know how to prepare for and deliver a great media interview. Many of them think they know. Maybe it's because they have a lot of self confidence. Maybe they're good in a room. Or they can deliver an engaging presentation. A media interview, however, is its own unique animal. And to be great at them requires intention. Training. Practice.

I delivered a session a few years back for an up-and-coming leader in financial services. He was also completing his studies in a graduate business program. As I was packing up my equipment, he said, "You know...they didn't teach us any of this in business school. The people in my class are leaders at billion-dollar companies and I don't think any of them would be able to excel at what we did here today. They're not preparing us for this."

Whether you're launching a product or dealing with a crisis...the quality of your media interviews matters. Your media coverage is also part of the public record. It's there forever for everyone to see. Your colleagues, shareholders, employees, competitors, even your great-grandchildren (but no pressure!).

The quality of your media coverage can impact your share price, employee morale, your chances of getting funding, the perception of your brand, the trajectory of your career.

Why are more leaders not taking a simple action to address this vulnerability? As the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."

Whether you're driving down the highway or doing a high-profile media interview, a blind spot isn't a problem until it is. On the road, that vulnerability can lead to an accident. With the media, it can lead to squandered opportunities, doors left open for your competition and, in the worst instances, the need for damage control or to update your resume.

So, while you're lowering yourself into that cold plunge, downloading the list of books Barack Obama wants you to read in 2024 and signing up for that leadership conference in Montana, take a few seconds to think about how you will eliminate the media relations blind spot for yourself and your organization's spokespeople this year.

If you're ready to level up your media interviewing skills, join the more than 400 other students from around the world who have enrolled in my online course, ​The Art of the Great Media Interview. It contains all my best tips and strategies about media relations, packed into a multi-media course that includes videos, case studies, downloadable checklists and a new AI sidekick to help your prep for media interviews, answer your media related questions and even write draft messages for you. The course is a one-time purchase (not a subscription), and you will have permanent access to this content.

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