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A Life Less Ordinary with Mark Little

A Life Less Ordinary with Mark Little

Mark Little

Mark Little

Mark Little attended Trinity College Dublin before becoming an award-winning foreign correspondent and TV anchor for the national TV station RT�. He also presented the network�s top-rated current affairs programme, Prime Time, and was its first Washington correspondent. He has covered some of the biggest stories of the 21st century, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the election of Barack Obama.

In 2010 he took a leave of absence to establish Storyful, a social news agency that pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. He sold Storyful to News Corp in 2013 and went on to work with Twitter (now X), first as VP of Media Partnerships in Europe and later as MD.

In 2016, he left that position to set up the digital news venture Kinzen (originally NevaLabs). Kinzen provides data and research to trust and safety professionals, content moderators and public policymakers, helping them deal with threats such as dangerous misinformation, hateful content, violent content, violent extremism and dangerous organisations. Kinzen was acquired by Spotify in 2022.

02:42 The changes within news reporting and journalism

The current world is undergoing significant changes in areas such as AI and journalism, which is leading to a state of uncertainty and insecurity

Entrepreneurs often grapple with cognitive dissonance, holding contradictory beliefs about their startup�s success and potential failure

Traditional media institutions are struggling due to platform dominance in advertising and recommendation systems, resulting in job losses

Individuals are forming direct connections with audiences through platforms like podcasts and newsletters

There is a need to support free, high-quality information sources � they are like public utilities

07:15 Advice to someone wanting to get into journalism

There is a shift from generalist roles to niche expertise

Rather than focusing solely on journalism, develop specialised knowledge in areas like finance or psychology

Build a strong online presence and engage directly with niche audiences through platforms like podcasts and social media

10:07 What role should journalism play in supporting democratic values?

We are in an unprecedented moment in history with exponential crises including technological advancements and the climate crisis

Over 50 elections worldwide heighten the speed and consequence of global events, increasing fear and uncertainty

Populist and anti-democratic forces thrive in times of fear, exploiting societal divisions and biases

Journalism is often resisting the urge to merely present �both sides�

Collective action is required from the media, politicians, technology platforms, and individuals

14:05 What is going to happen with AI?

Currently, the expectations for AI are very high and may lead to disappointment akin to the unfulfilled promise of flying cars

AI�s impact may resemble electricity, which is widely used but not constantly discussed

We need to view AI as a copilot rather than a sole problem-solving entity, akin to using GPS while driving

AI�s role in leadership is anticipated to reward qualities like emotional intelligence and flatter structures

19:14 The difference between management and leadership

Good management involves staying focused on the overarching vision

Jeff Bezos is a good example with his concept of staying fixed on the �north star� but being agile in execution

Effective managers absorb anxiety within the team, communicate challenges, and maintain calm amidst uncertainty

Ensure contingency plans are in place

Leadership relies heavily on emotional intelligence, empathy, regulation of energy, and articulating a vision

Leaders foster resilience within the organisation, managers focus on surviving day-to-day crises

A key aspect of leadership is ensuring employees feel connected to the company�s vision

24:10 Paying attention to people who weren�t made redundant in an organisation

Be aware of survivor�s guilt amongst the team

Organisations being like a �family� is risky

Reid Hoffman�s idea of a �tour of duty� emphasises a mission-driven approach to careers, allowing employees to move on

Effective communication and honesty from leaders are crucial in maintaining psychological safety

28:17 Balancing alignment with vision and autonomy in the organisation

Have a clear hierarchy of goals and a �north star� vision

Agile product development offers valuable insights, broken down into chunks

32:02 Maintaining your leadership whilst shifting between different ventures and company cultures

Be aware of jumping into ventures fueled by unbridled enthusiasm

You need to balance enthusiasm with pragmatism

Adopting a premortem mentality to anticipate and address potential failures

Be able to endure numerous rejections and setbacks inherent in entrepreneurship

Make space to reflect and learn from mistakes

37:48 How to navigate a bureaucratic organisation as an entrepreneur

Mark finds inspiration in making an impact, especially through storytelling in journalism

Rapid iteration and feedback to drive innovation

Mark�s transition from journalism to entrepreneurship was motivated by a sense of urgency to pursue impactful ideas

Managing upwards in a corporate environment requires a shift in perspective and communication style

The pandemic has had a big impact on maintaining interpersonal connections and tactile experiences

43:00 The challenge of communication and collaboration when not physically present together

A big challenge lies in balancing diverse personality types, particularly in meetings, where extroverted voices often dominate

We need to value diversity of thought

Have a clear game plan for execution and the role of different mindsets in contributing to successful meetings

Finding the right mix of extroverted and introverted voices, along with thinkers and doers, is crucial for productive discussions and decision-making

47:28 The balance between introversion and extroversion in leadership roles

Particularly for extroverts, work on listening and asking questions

It empowers others to co-author solutions

Open-ended questions help build diverse perspectives and mutual understanding

54:42 An overview of Kinzen and explain why Mark saw a fit with Spotify

From initially aiming to empower users to filter their news feeds to developing machine learning tools for content moderation

Kinzen�s collaboration with Spotify was a natural fit due to shared goals and the opportunity to enhance content moderation efforts with access to Spotify�s data

01:00:22 Learning from journalism in conflict zones

The nature of journalism in conflict zones has changed over time

There are more blurred boundaries of frontlines and challenges in accessing certain areas due to military control

The importance of local witnesses and social media in providing direct evidence from the battlefield

01:05:24 What Mark Little does for downtime

Learn from the parallels with the transformation of rugby players from past to present in terms of health consciousness

It has been a gradual shift from unhealthy habits such as smoking, excessive drinking, and neglecting self-care to adopting healthier practices like better sleep, mindful breathing, and regular exercise

Seek human connection

Expose yourself to manageable levels of stress to build resilience

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The 1% Podcast brings together the 3Ps of People, Professions and Performance. We chat to top-class performers from eclectic areas (sport, business, politics, art etc.) to extract the tactics, tools and routines you can use to get 1% better and achieve success.