In days long gone, watchmen patrolled city walls high above the rest, ever vigilant for signs of danger like fires, approaching enemies, or even shifts in the wind that could signal a coming storm. Their job wasn’t just to react to immediate threats but to anticipate threats before anyone else.
Heaven knows radio has our fair share of threats outside our gates today. Revenue streams. Talent pools. Staff morale. Ever-shrinking budgets. As the rest of the industry carries on with the business at hand, we have our own watchmen on the walls for these dangers: the leaders tackling these complex challenges every day – including the new generation rising to assume the watch from the old guard.
That’s why Radio Ink established our annual list of Top 20 Leaders. This list – separate from the venerable 40 Most Powerful – recognizes those already on the fast track for even greater leadership roles.
But to identify these remarkable people, one must ask what it will take to lead us into the next 25 years… and beyond.
No one questions the significance of the digital transformation, yet as audiences increasingly shift toward new media, radio’s leadership must do more than invest in new technologies and staffing — they must commit to understanding and integrating these advancements. Without that knowledge, investments become short-lived experiments, easily abandoned when challenges arise. As the adage goes, “You can’t manage what you don’t know.”
To take that a step further, you can’t manage who you don’t know. Radio’s core product — its content — is a people-focused commodity. Audiences are anything but static, and it’s now the same with staff. The growing influence of digital-native generations demands a fresh approach to engagement. Tomorrow’s leaders must actively seek input from younger staff members and industry peers, immersing themselves in the spaces where these audiences gather.
Resource allocation is another crucial responsibility, often requiring leaders to do more with less. That includes making the right calls on staffing, infrastructure, and technology investments. And as painful as layoffs are, the only thing worse is blindly cutting a mooring only to realize it was keeping everything else anchored.
This is why transparent leadership has never been more critical. In our era of widespread misinformation, credibility depends on honest, forthright communication. If the team doesn’t believe what you say, you’re wasting your breath. On the flip side, a compelling workplace culture where employees feel valued and empowered will emerge naturally wherever a leader is engaged and present.
Radio’s leadership challenges are complex, demanding foresight, adaptability, and integrity. Those who climb the watchtower to meet these demands will define the industry’s next chapters.
Lucky for all of us, this year’s Top 20 Leaders deal these qualities in spades. Listen to our watchers on the walls!
Meet Radio Ink‘s Top 20 Leaders of 2025 in this month’s issue – out now. If you haven’t yet subscribed, click here to purchase a digital version.
