The Loudest Voice is an HBO mini-series that charts the rise and fall of Roger Ailes, chairman of Fox News. Played by Russell Crowe in heavy makeup, Ailes is depicted as a ruthless, creepy and strategically brilliant predator. The show is built around several pivotal periods including Fox’s founding, such as 9/11, Obama’s election, Trump’s rise, and Ailes’s eventual downfall due to prolific incidents of sexual harassment during his tenure. The Loudest Voice offers a few leadership and management lessons as it seeks to unpack Ailes’s story – many of them drawn from what to avoid. Here are three professional lessons from The Loudest Voice.
Create a safe environment
This should go without saying, but we will say it anyway. During his time at Fox, the Ailes portrayed by Crowe creepily leers and touches all sorts of female staff. He’s verbally abusive, screams at people and seeks to destroy anyone who he sees as an enemy. His paranoia is chilling and percolates through the corporate culture of his network – even as Fox’s ratings rise to the top of the market. The series eventually demonstrates how this behavior leads to his downfall. Sexual violence and misconduct of any kind is unacceptable and one of the things the Loudest Voice posits is the blanket of complicity around the corporation at the time among colleagues allowed for the continued predation. The lessons from this is simple. If you see predatory or unjust behaviour happening in your workplace, act and don’t be a bystander. Follow your principles and values around how to navigate the action and create safe places to work.
Focus on a differentiator
One thing the Loudest Voice makes clear is Ailes’s effectiveness at focusing on an overriding objective – to engage and drive the sentiments of their right-leaning base. To do so, an entire network was constructed around this hypothesis- drawn from past practical political experience (e.g. rally the base). The focus on a clear and simplified goal avoided distraction and dilution of purpose. It also clearly differentiated Fox from its competitors (MSNBC, CNN) with a brand that was unique. The lesson for professionals from this is to consider your own professional brand and how you can differentiate yourself from everyone else around you. Intentionally considering your strength, focusing on it and building out your brand is important for longer-term success.
Networks matter
The series makes a strong argument that Ailes’s diverse network within the Republican eco-system aided him in aligning the news station with current political winds, thus allowing him to shape leaders and in turn stay crucial to his audience. We see his in his conversations with Karl Rove and with Trump in later episodes. Being able to have candid conversations with personal contacts is crucial to professional momentum and growth. Where you choose to build that network is up to you – but don’t forget to do it. Particularly as you advance in your career, a strong network is becoming increasingly important for success.