Zell: 'F-You'*

Sam Zell's foul-mouth bluntness was on display last week when he visited the Orlando Sentinel newsroom and got hit with a question he didn't like. In response to pointed questions from a photographer about softening news coverage:

The journalist in the video asked where the paper's journalism was headed, and Zell said journalists needed to focus on what readers want, thus helping generate revenue to reinvest in the paper.

The journalist then followed up, saying readers want "puppy dogs" rather than real information. Zell took umbrage, delivering the eminently quotable line, "you're giving me the classic... journalistic arrogance of deciding that puppies don't count."

Zell dropped his F-bomb a few breaths later, at the very end of his answer.

Watch the video here.

Thick skins are needed when questioning (Zell) authority (New Employee Handbook, Part 2, #8). At least he apologized for his offensive language.

*Challenge authority, if you dare. "This is not the way to align anyone to your vision," said Warren Bennis, a USC business professor and co-author of "Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls." "Zell made the fundamental error of any change agent, which is you've got to have a reservoir of goodwill." LAT
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