Al Roker: How the 'Today' Show Weatherman Stays Positive After All These Years On TV

On LinkedIn’s This is Working video series, I sit down with top figures from the world of business and beyond to surface the lessons they've learned about how to navigate setbacks and how to achieve more in work and life.

My guest this week is the weatherman and co-anchor of NBC's Today Show, Al Roker . 

There's a lot of emphasis today on working authentically. But what if that sometimes means bringing your worst self to work.

I mean, we all have bad days. I can’t imagine I’m a lot of fun to work next to when I’m dealing with anxiety or sleep deprivation — especially when the team is looking for leadership and energy. It’s a delicate balance that many spend their entire careers trying to master.  

Al Roker may just have it figured out. Al's been a fixture in American's living rooms for decades, starting his TV career in 1974 at a local station in Syracuse and spending the last 26 years at NBC’s Today Show. He's developed the uncanny ability to make even the darkest days feel just a bit more sunny. Whether he's breaking news from the eye of a hurricane or breaking Guinness World Records, the 68-year-old weatherman brings an infectious optimism to everything that he does. 

But behind the scenes, Al has faced his share of personal challenges. He lost his father to cancer and has had to cope with serious medical issues, himself. He bounced back from a gastric bypass surgery in 2002 and later survived an aggressive form of prostate cancer. On the day we talked, he was still recovering from a total knee replacement. 

But even on the toughest days, Al isn't deterred; he delivers in front of the camera. For this week’s This is Working, I asked Al Roker for his secret is to channeling positivity all the time. Here’s three takeaways and one thing that I’ve never seen before:

1. We all have bad days at work — even Al Roker. Journaling helps corral the feelings.

“There are days where I just don't feel great — but nobody pays to see the grumpy weather guy,” Al said. “I remember times when my parents were ill… You have to come in and do your job and it's tough but everybody's going through something at the end of the day.”

To maintain a positive headspace, Al says he journals every day before heading to the studio as a form of self-therapy.

“I put it down, put it out there, kind of get rid of it, and then move on,” he explained.

2. The more you embrace the beginner's mindset — and the beginner’s nerves — the more you’ll enjoy the work

Al has been going on live television for nearly 50 years — but he still gets jitters before the cameras roll. That completely floored me. I've been on the Today Show many times (in fact, was just on this morning!) and each time am teetering on full-on flop sweat. I assumed the hosts never felt even close to that.

But that’s part of what makes Al approachable: He’s out there listening and proving himself, too.

“I'm nervous every day. I'm certainly nervous every morning before the Today Show because I want to do a good job… If you are not nervous, then that means you've stayed in whatever you're doing too long,” he told me. “ Embrace that [nervousness]. It means you still want to do your best.”

3. Don’t focus on what’s at the top of the ladder: Being amazing at the role you’re in can lead to happiness

In our careers, many of us set our sights on the top rung of the ladder. It���s easy to get caught up in the idea of running the show. But that pressure can be toxic. Al’s storied career is proof you don’t need to be a boss in order to carve out a name for yourself.

“I'm not one of the main anchor people,” he said. “[Former Tonight Show sidekick] Ed McMahon made a very good living being the 'second banana.' I'm happy doing what I'm doing and being supportive in any way that I can to the folks I work with. As Robin Williams said in Aladdin, 'It's all part and parcel of the Genie gig.'"

Plus, the top banana work didn't even sound that great: "I didn't want to be the anchorman," he said. "I was just happy being the weather guy."

Al figured out that discovering what you love to do — and excelling at that — is the best way to get ahead. And sometimes that means embracing your second banana-hood.

*Bonus: Surround yourself with an A-Team

Part of Al’s philosophy around the ability to thrive in a helping role is that it only works if your work-life resembles, as much as possible, the A-Team. In that 80’s action show starring Mr. T, each character had some unique skill that the team needed to solve the week's issue. (Mr. T's character was an unparalleled mechanic, for instance, whose weakness was a fear of flying.) I was a fan of the show as a kid; Al’s metaphor worked for me. 

But what I wasn’t prepared for was his ability to recite the entire opening of the A-Team. And this was the 80’s when title sequences went on way too long. It’s worth watching the video above just to see Al usher in the show.

And, for what it's worth, I'd argue that Al is the top banana when it comes to A-Team appreciation.

I'd love to hear from you on how you maintain positivity about your work (or if you do!). Let me know in the comments, or send me an email at thisisworking@linkedin.com. You can also follow me on LinkedIn on Instagram. And be sure to follow to This is Working. 

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