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Joan Lunden: Say Yes, Then Learn How to Do It
19 Aug
Summary
- Lunden advises saying yes to opportunities, then learning skills.
- She detailed a past incident of workplace sexual harassment.
- The journalist confronted her harasser, preventing retaliation.

Joan Lunden, 75, revealed that her extensive journalism career has been significantly propelled by her approach of readily accepting opportunities. Her philosophy, as shared in a recent interview, is to say yes to any task and then learn the necessary skills. "Whenever anyone asks you if you can do something, just say yes and then go figure out how to do it," Lunden advised, emphasizing that this mindset has been crucial to her success.
She also recounted a challenging experience from her early days at New York's WABC-TV in the 1970s. A male colleague propositioned her, and after she refused, he allegedly retaliated by suppressing her work. Lunden confronted him directly about the discriminatory and revenge-driven actions, threatening legal action for sexual harassment and discrimination.
Lunden's firm stance and mention of consulting her agent and lawyer reportedly stopped the colleague's retaliatory behavior. She advocates for being willing to be imperfect initially to gain opportunities that lead to mastery, highlighting the importance of self-belief and adaptability in professional growth.