" Who Was Betsy Magness?"
Forward by, Joan Berler

We've all heard the name Betsy Magness; the inspiration and namesake for Women in Cable and Telecommunication's prestigious Betsy Magness Leadership Institute (BMLI). Each year, 25 women are selected to become BMLI Fellows and participate in a year-long educational program characterized by direct feedback, personal development and industry involvement. These distinguished women have already displayed exemplary leadership skills, the potential to excel in senior executive level positions and the ability to mentor others.

As I set out to write a short piece on Betsy Magness, I asked National to please forward any information they had in their archives. To my delight, they sent me a piece written by Ann Montgomery (currently Regional Senior Vice President, Southern Region, Comcast Cable Communications) from the Winter 1998 edition of WICT Insights. The piece is beautifully written, personal and sincere. Below is the original article in its entirety.

" Who Was Betsy Magness?"
Originally written by Ann Montgomery
for WICT Insights, Winter 1998.
Reprinted with permission.

A role model for my life is Betsy Magness. As you may know, Betsy and Bob Magness sold their ranch and all their cattle to begin a career in cable television. What you may not know is who Betsy was, what she believed, how she struggled and how she succeeded.

Betsy was a planner. She and Bob planned starting up cable operations for two years - traveling to cities in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico and Colorado, taking detailed notes and survey on each site. They looked at antennas, off air picture reception, geographical topographies -- and Betsy documented every detail.

They chose Bozeman, Montana as their first venture and bought the radio broadcasting company that also owned the cable plant. They built or franchised in one small town after the other.

Betsy was born into a very poor family in Clinton, Oklahoma. She worked her way through college, attaining a Bachelors Degree in Business. She worked for the Bureau of Land Management in Oklahoma and one day asked Bob Magness to be her date at a Sadie Hawkin's Day dance.
Betsy was a gourmet cook and loved to entertain at her home. She was expressive, intense and very funny. Those closest to her state that Betsy told colorful jokes - regularly teasing Bob.

Although she was raised very poor, she was comfortable around those with money. She had an innate self confidence and never felt she didn't measure up to them. However, she was always very frugal, buying clothes for Bob at Sears even until her death in 1986. She would repair items rather than buy new ones -- whether it be new tools, wrenches or a halter for her horse. She never forgot her upbringing of having little clothes or no shoes in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma.

Betsy cared for others as if they were family. She was quick and boldly honest with everyone she met. She addressed people's behavior - not their person. She believed that a company's greatest asset was its employees, but delegated to others only when they demonstrated detailed caring of the task.

Her expectations of others in the workplace was high. Many people feel they worked at their best when they had Betsy overseeing their work. Her expectations of other's extended beyond work, coaching and guiding others through their personal traumas.

Betsy had high moral standards based on a deep religious faith. She believed in hard work, patience and the right of an individual to pursue what she or he wanted in life. She believed that nothing came easy. Her fair, appropriate and timely recognition of others was appreciated and accepted as sincere. She was an excellent listener and a key decision maker within the company.

The traits about Betsy that influenced me the most was her ability to put people ahead of task, to grow and develop people into a company and influence others to be the best they could be. Her sense of humor through rough times and the legacy she leaves to women in the telecommunications industry are admirable.

I asked the people that contributed to this interview what they would say to Betsy if they had the opportunity. They said they would thank her for her constant support, being a role model and for her integrity and her inner strength that had been surpassed by no one else. I believe all of us - - even those or us who never knew Betsy - can thank her for the same.

The Value of BMLI
by Lisa Schoenthaler
Senior Director, Association Affairs
NCTA

"… the most effective way to navigate change…is to map out creative routes to find your way instead of engaging in active or passive resistance."

Going into the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, I really didn’t know what lay ahead. The advanced billing sounded wonderful: the literature promised that the program would present the opportunity to gain personal insight, sharpen leadership skills, and work on problem solving. To a person, alumnae said that the program was great – each wanted to share their experiences.

I’m now halfway through my time with BMLI, and the program has lived up to its billing. With the help of more assessment instruments than I knew existed, I have gained a better understanding of who I am and how I am perceived in the workplace and at home. I have focused on setting and achieving realistic goals, both professionally and personally. And I’ve learned that the most effective way to navigate change – which is in no short supply in our industry -- is to map out creative routes to find your way instead of engaging in active or passive resistance.

During the week spent at the Center for Creative Leadership, each of us participated in a series of group challenges that required cooperative teamwork to complete. One outdoor challenge was to raise and lower a PVC pipe without dropping it. Sounds easy? That piece of pipe was light and seemed to have a life of its own. After dropping the pipe a few times, the thirteen women in my group figured out that to avoid chaos, we needed to give up our instinct to direct, to find one person to lead the process in a calm manner, and to work in unison. We succeeded once we joined in a common mission toward a common goal. And I observed that many women were trying out different roles outside of their comfort zones: some natural leaders practiced listening and following directions, some women who were more comfortable remaining quiet took the chance to take control. And some women with wicked senses of humor brought real life and laughter into the exercise.

Of equal importance to the lessons learned has been the opportunity to share this experience with a group of dynamic, interesting, and creative women. These women came to this program willing to open up not only about the successes they’ve achieved, but also but also about the personal and professional trials they’ve faced. That aspect of the program is a large part of what will make the second half of this journey so compelling.