Jeff Glor took over Scott Pelley’s position as the anchor of CBS Evening News on December 4th. Before taking the helm, he was the lead anchor on CBSN, which is a 24/7 streaming news service. Since starting his career at the network, Glor covered Hurricane Irma in Florida, the Manhattan terror attack by truck, the mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and more recently, the Santa Barbara Country for the mudslides. Glor was also a correspondent for CBS This Morning and 60 Minutes Sports, reporting from locations around the world, from Africa and Ireland.
He began his journalism career in 1997 as a news writer for Syracuse University, then he was the co-anchor for WSTM-TV Syracuse’s 5 PM newscast and an anchor and reporter for WHDH-TV Boston. Throughout his career, he has filed thousands of stories in local news, sometimes even half a dozen each day or more. I had the opportunity to speak to Glor after one of his broadcasts about his morning routine and best career advice.
Here are Glor’s top five strategies on how to build a successful career:
Have a morning routine and stick to it
Glor wakes up at the same time as his children and eats breakfast with them, which is important to him and his wife. Before leaving the house, he finds time to exercise and watch his colleagues on CBS This Morning. During his commute, his listens to the radio, makes calls and ensures he is ready for the day. “The morning preparation process is crucial because, at 9:30am, we have our first meeting to decide what the show will cover that night,” Glor told me.
Be flexible when pursuing your dreams
While he was attending Syracuse University, Glor was a duel major between broadcast journalism and economics. While he had a consulting job offer in New York City before he graduated, he felt that it was too comfortable for him. “I knew if I wanted to succeed in broadcast journalism, I probably needed to be uncomfortable,” he said. He ended up turning down the consulting opportunity, even without a backup job, and pursuing a career in reporting instead. He was open to going anyone in the country and landed something in Syracuse.
Read as much as possible
I asked Glor how he prepares for his many interviews and he said “I read a lot, so my first step is typically just getting my hands on any material I can.” Depending on whom he interviews, he prepares slightly different. For instance, he’s interviewing a politician; he might focus on one subject he will focus on in the conversation. If he’s speaking to an author, he reviews a variety of topics, knowing that the conversation will be open-ended. Aside from learning from his interview preparation, he also learns from unexpected moments during the interviews that change his perspective.
Travel early and often
Glor’s dad took off an entire month in the summer of 1988. He and his mom rented an RV and drove him, and his two brothers, across the country and back. They visited many national parks and campgrounds. “I will never forget that. It helped instill a love of travel at an early age,” he said.
Get many new perspectives
One of the big reasons why Glor is success in the ultra competitive media industry is that he listens a lot. He believes that the product that he delivers to his audience wouldn’t be strong without getting many perspectives. He says it means “hearing from a wide range of voices and opinions and being open to vigorous debate.”
Glor is the perfect example of someone who has to work incredibly hard just to keep up with our every changing world. After years of experience as a newscaster, he’s discovered what he’s passionate about and honed his skills throughout his journey. His daily behaviors, routines and actions enable him to stay on top of the news and deliver the right content to his audience, earning their respect in the process. While we continue to hear about ‘fake news’, Glor has been able to cut through the clutter and become a trusted source for news in America and beyond.