“True leadership in a crisis is not about having all the answers. It’s about creating the calm and confidence that allows your team to discover the solutions,” said Mbumba Banda, CEO of Nation Publications Limited.

Banda’s definition of leadership was greatly influenced by the two significant crises that her newspaper, one of Malawi’s leading and most influential dailies, has endured during its existence.

Independent media emerged in Malawi only in 1993, when the first free outlets were created following the fall of a 30-year dictatorship. Fifteen newspapers were launched that year, Banda said, The Nation is the only one still operating today.

Speaking at our Asian Media Leaders Summit in Singapore, Banda explained how the two events that threatened the survival of The Nation were pivotal in influencing the publication’s strategic decisions.

The ‘podium pronouncement’ crisis

The first major crisis that shook the publication took place 15 years after its founding, driven by the government’s reaction to its reporting.

“Because we played our role seriously to hold the establishment to account, one day, on a public podium, all government entities and employees were told that they were not to advertise in or buy our newspapers,” Banda said.

The decree strangled the paper’s finances overnight: “At that time, 65 percent plus of our revenue came from the government. So just from a podium pronouncement, 65 percent of our revenue base was gone.”

“Gone with it was also business from government hangers-on, and people fearful of government,” she said.

What The Nation could lean on during this crisis was its staff’s remarkable resilience and commitment to the title’s mission. 

Having been founded in the aftermath of the dictatorship era, the publication had a robust editorial policy “where we set ourselves up to contribute to nation-building,” Banda said. Therefore, its employees were strongly committed to what the newspaper’s mission. 

Even when there had to be cost-cutting, “people understood the process, and had bought into who and what we were, so they accepted that situation,” she said.

“We did not change our editorial stance. We maintained our ‘why.’ We were not going to compromise on that.” 

By persisting on its editorial line, the newspaper received weighty support from readers and other societal actors: “The public were willing to pay for good journalism. And suddenly we had partnerships, sponsorships, all sorts of support.” 

This allowed the title to persevere, and after two years, the government ban was dropped. 

“We struggled for some time, but staff stood shoulder to shoulder through the tough time,” Banda said. “I’m happy to say that as a result of that resolve, we came out stronger, more respected, and more followed.”

The experience brought home a clear lesson: “The key in journalism is always stick to what you stand for. If what you stand for ensures your fidelity to the people, you will get their support,” she said.

The Covid/Digital disruption

The Nation’s second major crises took place during the Covid period, when the company was under significant pressure due to the rise of digital media and related shifts in the media space.

To make matters worse, Malawi also faced a significant economic downturn, all which resulted in an “onslaught” for the title, Banda said. The Nation experienced “a loss of circulation of about 50 percent, and a loss of advertising of about 30 percent.” 

“Much as we have embraced digital media and put in place a digital media strategy, revenue from digital media is less than 10 percent of our revenue. Our mainstay remains the traditional legacy media,” she said. 

Unlike in the crisis prompted by government action, building a similar sense of unity among the newspaper’s employees required intentional efforts this time. Accordingly, the company took action to rally the staff around a set of values, a process which Banda described as “a lot of work.”

“We had to bring a consultant in, had different sessions, and eventually got buy-in [from employees]. It might not have been everybody, but there was enough of a critical mass to carry us forward.”

Key principles of change management

In reviewing these experiences, Banda outlined the principles and beliefs that had guided The Nation through such significant challenges.

Doubling down on the “why” to bring the team together. A collective sense of mission came naturally when living through the political crisis, uniting the staff in facing the challenge. But also, during the later economic crisis, it was equally important to build a sense of shared values within the company.

Communicating with clarity and transparency. “We decided that we would err on the side of overcommunication, repeating the key messages, and communicating new developments along the way,” Banda said.

“There was honest, constant, and purposeful communication, which is key to dealing with fear, rumours, and anxiety, as well as to inspire hope in the team.”

Encouraging learning, unlearning and relearning. Making the decision to invest in upskilling its staff, The Nation set up a standalone department with the task of bringing learning closer to employees.

“It was clear that in a rapidly changing business environment, the new normal could be navigated best by a reskilled team,” Banda said.

Setting up cross-functional tasks teams. During a time of disruption, it was clear that no individual person would have all the expertise that was needed. “But we knew that there were pockets of skills all over. We had to bring them together in order to find solutions,” Banda said.

Cross-functional teams were set up to support especially revenue generation with enhancing existing revenue streams and creating new ones. 

“These teams proved key in our survival and creating the beginning of growth,” Banda said.

Prioritising people and their well-being. “In leadership, emotional intelligence is paramount. We had to remain calm and confident as leaders, learning to release stress outside of the team,” Banda said.

“We had to double down on empathy, checking on the team, making the human connection more felt. We celebrated new wins, even small ones,” she said.

When the company implemented a recruitment freeze, it also made plans to ensure job security, which “had a huge impact on loyalty, productivity and performance,” she added.

Guaranteeing steady leadership. Through both crises, Banda said the leaders’ role was two-fold: “While needing to be the rock on which everybody stood, it was important for us as leaders to be humble and curious, knowing that not all answers could come from us. Answers could come from anybody,” she said.

“Through all this, we fostered trust, psychological safety, collaboration, and ensuring a united and informed approach,” she said.

“We worked to instil trust by reminding the team of their purpose, by providing direction, offering stability, radiating calm and inspiring hope. It was less about having the right map to navigate the troubled seas. It was more about being a reliable compass.”