Courage Under Ire (page 2 of 2)

Winning the Battle for Respect

The opening bell rang, and the Dow dropped 200 points. I was reporting this news live when one of the brokers next to me got on the phone and yelled, "Hold it up! I've got a half-million more shares for sale!" Within a nanosecond, the Dow was down over 400 points. It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

But those early days were uncomfortable -- and there were many of them. Every day, I needed to shore up my confidence to hold my ground in this mass of suits. Every day I had to be sure I knew my stuff because you couldn't fool these guys. Every day I had to fight for respect.

I will always remember the time Jack Welch, then CEO of General Electric, which owned CNBC, was set to visit the floor of the stock exchange. The day before his visit, I walked over to the GE trading post to ask George, GE's head specialist, if it would be okay to bring Jack by the next day. Some 20 brokers were standing around the post and another 50 were within earshot when one of the traders yelled, "Get away from here now! This is not your business. You will not discuss any of this on television!"

Here he was, a grown man, dressed in suit and tie, red in the face and trying to get in mine. I must admit, he scared me. And I was embarrassed. Everyone was staring. My stomach tied itself into a giant knot, and my brain went blank. I knew it wouldn't be wise to yell back. That would create an even bigger scene. But I also knew I couldn't just run away. Why should I?

Luckily, none of this was caught on-camera, but still, the moment seemed to last forever. Finally, I managed to say very calmly, "Do not ever speak to me that way." And I turned and walked away.

The next day George showed Jack how stocks were traded. He loved it!

Grasso set up a meeting for me and the guy who had given me such a hard time, hoping we'd agree to disagree. But it was clear the trader didn't want the media on the floor, and he treated me rudely for years. I stayed tough, though. I wasn't going to stop doing what I loved.

I reported from the floor of the NYSE for a decade. I went from being called "Hey, you" to "the Money Honey." Instead of trying to interrupt my broadcast, traders passed me notes to alert me to breaking news at their posts. The only time I came close to losing my composure on air was when a jokester gave me a note that said, "Nice shoes!"

I now host Closing Bell on CNBC every afternoon, and a syndicated weekend show, The Wall Street Journal Report, on which I interview some of the most powerful, successful people in business. I may run into more bullies, but I'm clear about my responsibility to my viewers -- to ask the tough questions and push for honest answers. I had the courage to take a stand because I knew my stuff.

Maria's Picks

• At womensmedia.com, learn to boost your self-confidence, explore conflict strategies and succeed in male-dominated professions.
• Author Mark Goulston, MD, shows you how to conquer 40 self-defeating behaviors, including fear of confrontation, in Get Out of Your Own Way at Work... and Help Others Do the Same.
• Gini Graham Scott offers advice for handling difficult people in A Survival Guide for Working With Bad Bosses: Dealing With Bullies, Idiots, Back-Stabbers, and Other Managers From Hell.

From Reader's Digest - March 2006

 

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