When people say it’s all about attitude, they’re right.

Working in journalism is tough. Managing in journalism is harder.

Managers will have a handful of skills necessary to overcome whatever hurdle is thrown at them.

Any reporter could get denied by a string of potential sources. Any editor could miss a deadline. Staff members might not even fulfill all responsibilities. Headlines could appear to mean Skyline College is at war. The newsroom could burn down.

No matter what the obstacle is, managers will have skills to surmount them. One of the most important skills of all, is the power of positive attitude.

An article written for Quill, Society of Professional Journalists, says that editors influence the morale more than the actual staff does.

If everyone at the top is demonstrating dedication, reliability, and meeting deadlines, the rest will follow suit.

The same can be said for the opposite side of the spectrum.

It’s discouraging, of course, to not get results that meet the standards or expectations.

It’s easy to fall in to a cycle of negativity when things aren’t going as they should be. The closer deadline is to creeping up on the staff the quicker everyone is to stressing and rushing to finish, potentially creating more room for error.

What the next person that takes this leadership position needs to know is to remember what the person in this position before me said, we are all learning. The people on TSV staff aren’t professionals, and that’s what you have to remember.

And just because we aren’t professionals isn’t a bad thing. It’s beneficial to get a head start on real reporting. It’s also excellent practice to have a role of authority before taking a position similar to that on in the real world.

A leader of peers should not take on all of the responsibilities. Instead, a leader should practice balancing what to delegate to which staff member.

All of these tips are crucial for a new manager or leader to become familiar with. Of course as always in journalism these tips are purely guidelines and not strict rules.

However, the most important tip is basically a rule of life. If a person has a positive attitude in their work and just in life that person will radiate positivity in the people and situations around them.

When life gives you lemons, it’s up to you what you want to make.

When life gives me mistakes – I don’t make mistakes. I make lessons.