Michael Jackson’s This is It.Sales Leadership Lessons from the King of Pop.
I came out of this movie not only impressed by MJ’s talent as a performer but also, his skill as a creative leader, coach, and mentor. Like show business, Sales is a high flying high risk profession with emotional highs and lows. We often perform without a net in risky and pressure packed circumstances. I often refer to what we do as “industrial showmanship”.
Sales leaders need their team’s delivering peak performances on a consistent basis. That’s a tall order. Sales people are creative, high self esteem, ego driven people - if I may generalize. They are not unlike show business people in many respects.
Here are the six lessons we can learn from MJ about how to lead and get the most from a team of sales professionals.
#1. Get the right people on the bus. The movie opens with MJ and Kenny Ortega (more on him later) hand picking the talent during a cattle call. The striking thing is how involved Michael is in this process and the geographic diversity of the talent pool. Don’t rely on HR. Get involved. Look with your own eyes for that petit je ne sais quoi. Seek out the best people and maybe even give an unknown a chance to really wow you and the customers.
#2. Surround yourself with good leaders. Kenny Ortega is the perfect compliment to MJ. Ortega has a great resume and is a triple threat talent (producer, director, and chorographer). Watching them work together and collaborate on ideas is a lesson in the power of mutual respect. Notice also how Ortega gently and respectfully gets Michael open up to new/alternate ideas. It is example in masterful communication. Behind every great leader is another great leader and that respectful give-and-take makes a good team great.
#3. Be a supportive and nurturing coach. There are several examples where when something goes wrong or is not perfect, Michael uses the phrase “That’s why we rehearse”, with emphasis on the WE. He never calls anyone out or embarrasses anyone in front of the team. He knows how to get the best out of each performer.
#4. Straight talk is sometimes required. There are times when Michael has to take charge and be very direct about what he wants. There is one section where MJ has a “straight talk” exchange with keyboardist and Musical Director Michael Bearden over a very subtle change he wants for the tempo of the song “The Way You Make Me Feel”. Bearden tries to defend a bit by saying he can’t predict how MJ will want certain songs to sound. MJ then lays down the law. “I want it like I wrote it”. In other words…Thanks for the input, now here is what we are going to do.
#5. Show the way and be into the details. Michael dances and sings as hard as anyone in the cast. Here he is, 50 years old throwing himself on the floor during “Beat It,” (several times to get it right). Imagine the inspiration to those young performers! There is a great scene where he is coaching Orianthi Panagaris on how to play Eddie Van Halen’s solo on “Beat It” and another where Jackson is coaching his band and production team on how he wants a certain breakdown to work. “Let it simmer…let the music simmer". MJ shows the way and doesn’t ask them to do anything he would not do himself.
#6. Take yourself seriously…but not too seriously. Michael has fun while getting the serious business done. He rides the cherry picker in rehearsal like he’s a kid on an amusement park ride at Neverland. On the rare occasion where he messes up, he pokes fun at himself. He is not afraid to be vulnerable in front of the team. At one point he complains about his ear monitors by joking with the sound technicians. In another, he has a fun exchange with his dancers and band for encouraging him to sing in full voice when he should be saving his vocal cords for the real performances. “I shouldn’t be singing out, I am trying to warm up…why are you doing this to me?”
In any profession, there are lessons to be learned from observing great people at work. It could be sports, politics, war or the entertainment industry. This movie shows the unglamorous hard work and team collaboration that is required to succeed when the curtain goes up or the conference room door closes. Show time baby!
Good Selling!
6 comments:
Great implications!Thank you Steve. I am not a MJ fan but was dragged to that movie by a friend who is a big fan of him. To my surprise,I was really pleased with what I have discovered and impressed by his delicate ways of getting things done. Best wishes, -- MGG
Nice to know someone reads it!
Steve - Nice insights on the creative elements of people leading at the highest levels of performance. I'm not really an MJ fan but appreciate his consistent le el of excellence. I know that I've told others of your blog, who also enjoy the articles, and look forward to getting smarter with each new installment. Keep it going. Cheers - Steve
I saw the movie too and was really impressed by how well MJ played dual roles of conductor/participant and team leader/team member. His skills in getting the best out of the huge cast without intimidating them or raising his voice were truly remarkable, very different from what one would expect from a typical pop icon. A true leader indeed!
Steve, as a brother of Theta Chi who also happens to be on the Executive Board of the company (AEG) behind the MJ London concerts and movie, I must say that what you took from "This is It" is not surprising to those of us who were directly involved. Many in our organization observed Michael's unique and amazing leadership first hand during the rehearsals and are pleased that people like you are perceptive enough to acknowledge it. With your permission, I would like to share your observations with our sales team. From Kevin McDowell, Exec VP and Chief Administrative Officer, AEG & AEG Live.
Dear Kevin McDowell, please share as you wish. Thanks for the comment brother.
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