Ted Turner: A Broadcasting Visionary
Stephen Saddemi
Entrepreneurship Management
Professor Hurley and Klingler
20 September 2012
Ted Turner, a Broadcasting Visionary “Earlier than most, Ted Turner saw clearly all the pieces on the chessboard, and had a strategy in mind to make major change.” (American Academy of Achievement). Although chess is just a game, the same can be said about Ted Turner’s business intuition. Not only could he envision the success of his business ventures, but he could anticipate how technology, public policy, and customer interest, would create a new niche within the industry. His ability to foresee potential opportunities did not just come to him, nor was his success given. Throughout his life Ted Turner has not only taken the right risks to put him in the right situations to succeed but he has exemplified an attitude and characteristics that make him someone all entrepreneurs alike can learn from.
Ted Turner’s success can be partially credited to his earliest working experience. At the age of nine his father purchased a small billboard advertising agency in Savannah, Georgia. It was with this company that Turner would leave his first footprint in the business world. More importantly, it was with this company Turner learned what it took, he learned this company from the ground up, inside and out, everything from the maintenance of the facility, to the company’s finances. This is an important lesson for all entrepreneurs, in order to run a successful business venture; one must learn every aspect of the business. What Turner took away was to never ask someone to do something that he himself would be unwilling to do, one of the most important behaviors of any good leader.
After his father committed suicide, Turner was thrown the reins of his family’s struggling billboard company at the age of 24. In debt and dealing with a family tragedy, Turner was forced to adapt and overcome. He began working day and night, and even offered discounts to customers who paid on
Entrepreneurship Management
Professor Hurley and Klingler
20 September 2012
Ted Turner, a Broadcasting Visionary “Earlier than most, Ted Turner saw clearly all the pieces on the chessboard, and had a strategy in mind to make major change.” (American Academy of Achievement). Although chess is just a game, the same can be said about Ted Turner’s business intuition. Not only could he envision the success of his business ventures, but he could anticipate how technology, public policy, and customer interest, would create a new niche within the industry. His ability to foresee potential opportunities did not just come to him, nor was his success given. Throughout his life Ted Turner has not only taken the right risks to put him in the right situations to succeed but he has exemplified an attitude and characteristics that make him someone all entrepreneurs alike can learn from.
Ted Turner’s success can be partially credited to his earliest working experience. At the age of nine his father purchased a small billboard advertising agency in Savannah, Georgia. It was with this company that Turner would leave his first footprint in the business world. More importantly, it was with this company Turner learned what it took, he learned this company from the ground up, inside and out, everything from the maintenance of the facility, to the company’s finances. This is an important lesson for all entrepreneurs, in order to run a successful business venture; one must learn every aspect of the business. What Turner took away was to never ask someone to do something that he himself would be unwilling to do, one of the most important behaviors of any good leader.
After his father committed suicide, Turner was thrown the reins of his family’s struggling billboard company at the age of 24. In debt and dealing with a family tragedy, Turner was forced to adapt and overcome. He began working day and night, and even offered discounts to customers who paid on
Cited: "Ted Turner Biography." -- Academy of Achievement. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tur0bio-1>. "The Pop History Dig » Ted Turner & AOL Time Warner." The Pop History Dig » Ted Turner & AOL Time Warner. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=ted-turner-aol-time-warner>.