I had the immense pleasure of meeting David Dimbleby after I was invited to BBC’s Question Time at the Mick Jagger Centre the other week. Click on the image to watch the show in full. I managed to get a comment into the debate about globalisation, around 38 minutes into the piece:
Click to view Question Time at the Mick Jagger Centre
The question I addressed was about global trade and its impact on working conditions. Globalisation is an inevitable consequence of the internet and global communications and is probably connected to the time when we were first able to move goods around the world. Like most things, it has desirable effects and less desirable consequences. It is too simple in my view to suggest that we can regulate bad practices in sweatshops of the world by social disapproval or tariffs, nor is it realistic to expect that ‘the market’ will solve the problem by refusing to buy cheap goods. Having travelled and worked widely in India I was surprised to find myself agreeing with David Starkey, the controversial historian, who accurately pointed out that no significant growth had ever occurred without the exploitation of human capital. That said, I also agreed with Shirley Williams, who pointed out that this did not make exploitation right or acceptable.
This problem is complex and systemic and it therefore requires a systemic and multifaceted solution. I was reminded of the ‘wicked problems’ grid, which we use in our consulting on complex and interconnected business topics:
Such topics do not lend themselves to ‘digital’ A or B type answers and I was pleased to see that this came out in the debate. Some general transferable points on ‘wicked problems’:
To resolve complex problems requires us to ask great questions. THis has the effect of reducing the uncertainty inherent in such problems.
It’s ALWAYS a mistake to jump to ‘solutions’ to ‘joined up problems’ or attempt to reduce them to A or B dialectics.
Complex problems can often be resolved by a combination of visionary thinking and systematic divergent and convergent thinking.
More on this topic in our books Best Practice Creativity and Sex, Leadership and Rock’n'Roll, available at BOOKS.
On a lighter note, we had a bit of fun off camera. When David Dimbleby arrived, his first question to the audience was “Has anyone seen the show?” to which there was only one reply I could give: ”No, is it a new series?” Later on in the ‘warm up’, I responded to the trial question, which was “Should Her Majesty the Queen now hand over power to her family?” As we were in the Mick Jagger centre, I was compelled to break rule No 2 above by saying to the panel:
“If Mick Jagger were here, he would say ‘Not Fade Away’ – in other words, she should not retire”
On that note, let’s see the song that inspired the quip:
For as long as it takes you to read The Music of Business, drop all vices and preconceived notions, then get ready for a heady ride. British author, Peter Cook has compiled a top shelf read that should remain in your library as a reference and an inspiration. This book is about the art of busines explained through the business of music.
I must point out straight away that the phrase "Top Shelf" in the main post means "good" in the US, so it's OK to read on ...
This blog is a review by US Music Journalist Janet Hansen. In my opinion she has gone WAY beyond the normal reviewer's task and created a piece of writing that stands on it's own merits as a superb set of insights into the creative process in music and business. Janet makes points from her own experience in the music business and I was delighted to receive this recently, having had nothing more than a Twitter conversation with her. Check her other blog posts out which offer rare insights into music, musicians and creativity at work. Janet is also part of a women's empowerment movement across the USA entitled 'Women Who Rock". Contact her on Twitter @scout66com and via her BLOG.
Confessions on a dance floor – The Royal Institute of Great Britain – a superb venue for science … and dancing
I attended Entrepreneur Country’s forum recently and was so impressed that I decided to write a post on some of the lessons learned. Held in the auspicious surroundings of the Royal Institute of Great Britain where the 1st Industrial Revolution began, I heard a lot about how entrepreneurship will reboot the UK plc. Although I started life as a scientist and have had 18 years teaching MBA’s and doing business improvement, music has been a constant though my life. I could not help but notice just how well the Royal Institute of Great Britain’s lecture theatre could transform into a dance floor, given the somewhat mythical arrival of Madonna as one of the guest lecturers! Oddly enough, the day was characterised by entrepreneurs telling real life stories of their hopes, fears, successes and failures, hence my title Confessions on a Dance Floor. Cue the music:
Hung up
Just like Madonna’s fitness video, a lot of the discussion was centred around what entrepreneurs do to avoid burnout. Ed Bussey of iTrigga was a prime example, having come to the conference after an all night vigil at hospital on the occasion of his wife giving birth! He did however point out the importance of pressing the OFF button from time to time to avoid the possibility of crash and burn entrepreneurship.
If what you are doing isn’t working, STOP in the name of doing something different
Others talked of rituals and routines such as working out in the gym, taking forced holidays, running the London Marathon, going to the North Pole (that’s hardly chilling out!) and so on. Seemingly obvious advice, yet not always taken by busy entrepreneurs. Recall the post on STOPPING.
Like a Virgin
Several speakers gave witness to the importance of maintaining naivety if you are to succeed as an entrepreneur. Madonna’s contribution to this area is via her blockbuster hit “Like A Virgin”, which translates to the need to treat each new business situation like it’s the very first time, or at least to see it with fresh eyes. In particular Sir Will Sargent of Framestore painted a picture of the importance of intuition, creativity and the ability to remain adaptive and flexible as your company grows.
“If I stand still for 12 months, I will be out of business 12 months later“
Express Yourself
Perhaps the personification of Madonna’s hit record about expression was the opening addresses by Julie Meyer and Dr Mike Lynch. Julie presented her ideas about entrepreneurship clearly, concisely and without apology for wanting to create an enterprise economy, which produces both economic and social benefit. Business gets enough hard knocks and we need to see business as an engine of improvement, rather than an evil empire as it is frequently portrayed by Governments and a self-riteous public sector, who sometimes try to interfere in business and enterprise. Mike Lynch extended Julie’s strident start to the day by giving us some home truths on entrepreneurship:
”Without good marketing you can have something amazing and no one will know. Marketing is not cheating“
“Avoid the myth of doing things properly”
Mark Hoffmann of Oxygen Finance added another subtle dimension to Madonna’s title. It would be too easy to assume that ‘expressing yourself’ was the realm of extroverts. Mark calmly pointed out that expression can come from an introvert stance:
“I’m quiet but very driven”
Like a Prayer
Stephen Linnecar suggested that we gotta have FAITH – Not an allusion to George Michael, but the summary of his presentation which focused on five factors which he regarded as key to success as an entrepreneur: Future, Attitude, Improvisation, Timing and Help. You had to be there to get the detail behind these buzzwords. Picking up on one of these characteristics, improvisation featured strongly throughout the day, a point that resonated personally with me, having taught creativity, improvisation and innovation for the Open University MBA for 18 years. Let’s hear Madonna’s take on faith:
Hair
What impressed me most of all about the speakers at the event was a real and unusual sense of authenticity. Truths were told about successes. Much more importantly, we gained an insight into mistakes and outright failures. It’s much more important for an entrepreneur to learn from their mistakes than their successes and many speakers were candid about their regrets. We learned the perils of not owing up to mistakes via Peter Whent’s wonderful story of “United Breaks Guitars”, when a musician could not get any satisfaction from complaining to the airline after they broke his guitar. He resorted to a viral youtube campaign and United’s share price plummeted as his youtube figures climbed exponentially:
Lady Gaga’s vulnerabilities show up in her song called Hair, which she performed unplugged and therefore conceptually ‘naked’ in her appearance on the Paul O’Grady show. I feel it’s entirely appropriate to add Lady Gaga into a piece about Madonna, as she had clearly stood on the shoulders of giants in developing Madonna’s music into her own unique brand. Listen to the words of “Hair” to see behind the makeup, pizazz and lighting to the soul of a true artist:
So, there we have it. Five lessons for Entrepreneurs from Madonna and Lady Gaga:
Hung Up – Don’t get hung up by flogging yourself to death – use the OFF switch
Like a Virgin – Treat each day like it’s the first time to remain fresh
Express Yourself – Be clear, bold and concise in your communications.
Like a Prayer – Have faith in yourself and others that can help you realise your dreams
Hair – Be aware of your vulnerabilities, successes, failures and learn
I’m offering two x 66% discount vouchers for for my Online Learning Programme, “The Music of Business” – MBA level learning for entrepreneurs blended with ideas from the world of music. That’s JUST 65 dollars for 10 hours of world class learning in exchange for a review or less than a pint of lager every hour without a hangover! There is also an option to join an affiliate scheme to earn a residual income whilst you get on with running your business. To examine the programme take a look at the slide deck below:
Last week, the BBC reported on how ‘complacent’ British universities that fail to respond to the rise of online universities will be swept away by global competition. Even Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia agreed – see Jimmy Wales. I have to agree that the BBC, Wales and REM were right: “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine”.
Why so? I worked for the Open University Business School for 18 years on their MBA programmes and certainly would not be where I am today without the superb learning that I gained from taking and teaching their programmes over an extended period. I am eternally grateful to people such as David Mayle, John Martin, Norman Maxfield, Don Cooper and Jane Henry – modern day geniuses in their field.
However, despite my love of the institution, I must say that the university has been slow to respond to the changing expectations of the current generation of students. From the white heat of technology in the 1960’s The Open University and many other traditional universities have turned into slow followers of change in the education sector. I wish I could say otherwise. Sir Michael Barber agreed: “There are too many universities doing the same thing.” There are already big US networks of universities offering courses to students anywhere in the world, with two consortiums having already signed up almost four million students.
For my part, I was approached by Californian Online Learning Provider Udemy, who asked me to develop an MBA level online learning programme on Leadership, Strategy, Creativity, Innovation and Change. The programme, entitled “The Music of Business” offers a contrast to traditional university courses:
The programme can be taken at the learner’s pace and their own time, as it is available for life, during which time it continues to be updated.
MBA level learning at non-MBA prices.
For individuals, the programme is available for direct purchase at $169.
Individuals can also join an affiliate scheme to gain an income from referrals.
For companies, the programme can be customised, licensed, branded and embedded on corporate online learning platforms.
Take a look at the syllabus:
Will Universities go the way of HMV? The early warning signs are there. Post your thoughts on the likely fate of our Universities here. p.s. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with the post, but I enjoyed the REM track so much that I thought it was time to post another one:
Today I took the inaugural flight on Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin “Little Red” domestic flight from Manchester to London with aviation specialist and guitar supremo Steve Courtie. Cue the music:
A splendid flight, and a splendid partnership. I spoke with Steve Kelly, Fleet Manager for Aer Lingus (pictured above) and Edmond Rose, Virgin’s Director of Commercial and Revenue Planning about the partnership between Virgin and Aer Lingus. Steve pointed out that Aer Lingus have moved from a position of trying to emulate Ryanair some 10 years ago to the point where their chief advantage is doing things differently under the leadership of Christoph Mueller. This has made the merger of minds, bodies and spirit possible in ways that may not have been possible in times past.
Richard Branson continues to be a consumer champion and an innovator, moving into industries which have become tired or over complex. Here’s a few of my favourite things about the man:
Simplicity - Virgin Trains is not called Connex South Eastern. Virgin Money is not called J.P Morgan Chase – the clue is in the title. I’ve just also found that Virgin Media‘s phone and internet packages are much simpler than the competition, having just switched away from Demon Internet after years of legendarily bad service.
PR Genius - Virgin gains a disproportionately high level of publicity compared with its actual size. This spirit comes from its owner who is known to set aside about 25% of his time for public relations activity. He’s comfortable in his own skin, and also in a wedding dress. Here’s a quote from a happy traveller:
“Much respect to the man. He was mobbed in the lounge with photo hunters and even on board whilst sat in Upper could not get away from people wanting pictures. Guess it’s part of the job for him. Super pleasant man, got up 45 mins to landing and walked up and down the plane greeting people, then made an announcement as we landed thanking everyone for flying Virgin, to huge applause”
Little Red Corvette
Hippy Realist - Branson started life as a hippy with his record label, recording acts such as Henry Cow, Gong. These acts were indeed radical but without some handle on the finances Branson would probably have been selling “The Big Issue” these days. He has both a set of hippy ideals and a grip on realism to ensure that his fanciful ideas are grounded in some sensible economics. This is how creativity turns into innovation. Bob Geldof spelt this out in graphic terms when describing how Richard attempted to sign him to his record label, pointing out what a shrewd business person Branson is – decency prevents me from actually repeating Geldof’s words here! Here’s one of Branson’s first audacious publicity stunts – the release of Gong’s album “Camembert Electrique” for just 59 pence, the price of a single at that time. Photo courtesy of the great Daevid Allen via Dave Sturt, bass supremo for Bill Nelson and Gong:
Tu Veux Un Camembert?
I am showcasing one of Richard Branson’s former acts at a spectacular event in May aboard a ship in Kent. Dubbed “The Godfather of Punk” by Johnny Rotten, Richard Strange will be appearing at an event, which spans art and business, sponsored by Kent Business School. Tickets are strictly limited so hurry, hurry, hurry. Full details below:
Richard Branson, Gong, Richard Strange and Bill Nelson (all Virgins) feature in my latest book “The Music of Business”, available at author discount worldwide via The Music of Business and via our ONLINE Learning Programme. We leave with a “Rolling Stone” gathering Kate Moss and another “Little Red” theme tune from the Rolling Stones.
About the Blogger: Peter Cook leads The Academy of Rock - Keynote events with a difference and Human Dynamics - Business and organisation development, training and coaching. Check his online programme The Music of Business out. Grab discounted copies of his books by mailing him at peter@humdyn.co.uk
In recent weeks, I’ve been doing a number of live book launch events, some shorter, others longer. I’ve attached the slide deck from one of these and have expanded on some of the points in the slides below
AC / DC and Strategy
1. AC / DC have surpassed their peers by ‘sticking to the knitting’ – developing a strong brand and reinforcing it through everything they do. They have not ‘crossed genres’, wandering into hip hop or jazz fusion. It’s rare for businesses and individuals to be able to keep doing the same thing and keep their customers in the current age.
2. When they have changed, they have built a strong bridge between the future and the past, which has allowed them to keep their audience and gain new followers. This is a very transferable lesson for businesses and individuals.
Deep Purple, Creativity and Innovation
3. Innovation needs discipline and structure. People think that creativity is enough for innovation to take place, but it takes discipline and structure to execute an idea. We see this on stage when Deep Purple were jamming.
4. Innovative teams require strong leadership. Deep Purple nearly imploded on many occasions due to creative tensions between the band members.
The Beatles and Creativity
5. Find ways to listen to ideas that seem ‘dissonant’ to currently accepted views. The Beatles were masters of bringing outside influences into the world of pop music.
6. Delay evaluation of ideas for as long as reasonable, so that you can put distance between the novelty and a sober evaluation of the potential feasibility and impact of an idea.
7. Requisite diversity is essential if you are to have an innovative business. Find ways to resolve tensions that build up by putting different people together, but resist attempts to sidestep conflict. The creative leader utilises the tension between opposites whilst maintaining a focus on the goal. The Beatles are an excellent example of this.
Lady Gaga and Innovation
8. Innovate within the familiar range of the customer’s expectation for maximum early impact. Build on that for long-term sustainability. Gaga has cleverly built her music on the firm foundations of Madonna and her peers.
9. Stand on the shoulders of giants if you want to innovate. Be a genuine learning organisation if you want to stay in business for the long term. What will be interesting is to see what Gaga does next, having established world domination.
10. Use innovative partnerships and joint ventures to enlarge your market share in ways that benefit all. Choose your partners wisely and in ways that provide genuine win-win benefits.
For more detail on these points, mail me for your copy of The Music of Business. Tomorrow, I give the final keynote at a large Pharmaceutical Conference – my title is “Innovation Lessons from the Past, Present and Future“. If you want to perk up your next meeting, conference or keynote with a healthy blend of business thinking plus live demonstrations and the engagement that comes from live participation, give us a call on 07725 927585 or via e-mail peter@humdyn.co.uk
I was privileged to meet Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music the other week at The University of Oxford Said Business School, thanks to Steve Mostyn who contributed the Led Zeppelin case study to the book “The Music of Business“. Doug Morris is widely regarded as the most influential music executive in the industry. Throughout his career, he has worked in many different capacities with some of the most popular and influential artists of the past four decades, including The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, Pete Townsend, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks, Bette Midler, Tori Amos, INXS, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder and U2, among many others. Morris wrote “Sweet Talkin’ Guy” for The Chiffons, produced “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” for Brownsville Station and was behind “You Sexy Thing” for Hot Chocolate. He became President of Atlantic Records in 1980, working alongside Ahmet Ertegun. Later on, he renamed MCA records as Universal Music, to erase the well-known view of MCA as Music Cemetry of America. He gave a superb talk and I was delighted when Doug accepted copies of “The Music of Business” and “Sex, Leadership and Rock’n'Roll“.
He’s a Sweet Talkin’ Guy – Meeting Doug Morris at Oxford University Said Business School
Here’s Oxford University’s own report on the evening – Oxford University. From my own point of view, here are some parallel lessons about music and business:
Doug Morris on Personal Development
Focus – Morris started life with an economics degree and started life as a songwriter after a brief spell in the army. Although its clear from the opening song in this blog that Morris has a fine ear for writing hit songs, he realised that he was better at sales than writing songs and changed direction. Perhaps that’s the first important parallel, finding what you are really good at.
Passion– He came from a family of lawyers and doctors and his parents were horrified when he said he wanted to be a songwriter. Turned out that he was right to take this career direction, pursuing his passion.
Oxford University Said Business School – The Premier location for Business Excellence
Doug Morris on Business
Simplicity – Doug pointed out that some of the most successful records on the planet came out of the first, fourth and fifth chord progression. It’s the sequence that “La Bamba”, “Twist and Shout” and many many more songs are based on for the non-musicians. Businesses and musicians forget this point when they invent complex things which nobody ‘gets’.
Love – Morris described his relationship with Ahmet Ertegun as one of a great friendship, recalling that they would listen to what each other was playing in their adjoining offices. ”If I heard something I loved, I would bang on the wall and if Ahmet heard a sound that grabbed him he would do the same”. At the end of each day there would always be laughter and hugs. Doug applied the lessons of “Sweet Talkin’ Guy” to his dealings with artists he wanted to sign, often telling the musician’s wives or girlfriends how good their partners were, and then sit back and watch the artists decide to sign with Atlantic Records. Testimony for Morris’ power of attraction comes from people like Jay-Z who has mentioned him in several of his songs. I must say that I found Doug magnetic, warm, focused and charming. I would also hazard a guess that he does not suffer fools gladly. All qualities of great leaders.
Talent management – Morris was asked “what makes a successful record” and he pointed out that there’s no answer. However he went on to say that he has always relied on people who could ‘see round corners’. The quality of foresight is just as relevant to leaders in business as it is in the music business and I would say from Doug’s answer that this is still largely an intuitive rather than an analytical process. Doug told a wonderful story of how he missed the chance to sign Bob Seger because Ahmet Ertegun passed up on it, rather than going with his own judgement. He reflected “If you believe in something, don’t pass on it”. We discussed how intuition is undervalued in business in the post ‘Basic Instinct‘.
The Future – For the first time in over a decade, profits in the music business have begun to grow. Morris believes that this is the beginning of a turnaround for the music industry as it is pulled up by approaches to monetisation by related industries.
The title of Doug Morris’ talk was The A – Z of Music – From Adele to Zeppelin – let’s finish with examples from both artists:
To get your copy of The Music of Business and / or Sex, Leadership and Rock’n'Roll, get in touch direct by e-mail peter@humdyn.co.uk and I will deliver at at an author discount. Here’s an updated preview of the new book:
Postscript: Here is the lecture in it’s entirety:
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About the Blogger: Peter Cook leads The Academy of Rock - Keynote events with a difference and Human Dynamics - Business and organisation development, training and coaching. Contact via peter@humdyn.co.uk
Here’s an interview with Joanne St Clair, Engineer, Teacher, Music fanatic and Founder of The Naked Raver, which celebrates feminine spirit. Here, Joanne explains her journey across disciplines to her present career.
Tell me about your unusual mix of backgrounds from engineering to rock’n'roll
Music has always been an essential aspect of my life from an early age. From my childhood Saturday nights ballroom dancing at Blackpool Tower, to disco dancing in my grandparents local working men’s club, music has proved a continuous narrative in my development.
In 1987 I encountered house music via the rave scene, something I developed a passion for and one that accompanied me through my University days all the way into my professional career. Being led to believe that life was about securing a serious role in life, I opted for a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduation, I put myself into a male dominated environment. Although I enjoyed the work, I found the environment very challenging. One day I decided I had had enough and I embarked on a spur of the moment trip to Los Angeles, relying solely on intuition to guide my actions. Within three weeks of arriving in L.A., I had met and fallen in love with a homeless singer-songwriter. Next thing I knew we got married, I became his manager in the music industry, running a small DIY label, driving forward music events, and overseeing various third party projects.
How then did you come to write a book about personal development?
My experience made me see how responsible I was for my life and how, by making the correct choices, I could carve out an amazing life for myself. This understanding didn’t come over night. But, the more I researched, delved, and experimented, the more I came to realize that there is a whole world within an individual just waiting to be explored. My engineering and scientific background aided my understanding of the principles I had discovered. Writing a book about personal development is a natural part of the process I began some while back.
Give me an insight into Statue in the Square – as you know I am a business writer and have not dared take on a novel!
Statue in the Square is an allegorical novel about Destiny, told through the eyes of Jane Frasier, a young professional who has it all. However, life isn’t everything its cracked up to be and Jane is questioning its deeper meaning. Taking another day off work, she sits in her favourite spot by a bronze statue, observing people as they pass by. When it starts to rain she heads for the nearest café where, to her surprise, a stranger is waiting for her. The stranger unveils a powerful philosophy for living, one that invites Jane to live life at its most authentic and adventurous level. Over the course of one week he teaches her seven lessons which, if applied, will completely change her life.
There is certainly a lot of evidence that suggests that having it all does not make us feel more rich. Tell me about your company and current interests?
In September 2012, Daniel Orlick (my husband) and I launched Naked Raver, a very cool lifestyle empowerment brand for women. We create music, books, art and (eventually) fashion that embrace the feminine spirit, encouraging women to be beautifully confident in all that they do.
We have a range of fabulous artwork which is currently available to purchase and our first piece of music has just been released. Basically everything we have done in our ten years of marriage has all come together under this banner. We have been fully able to utilize our skills and passions in a very fun-filled and business driven away. Our motto is simply: Every woman has a Naked Raver inside. We help her set it free.
Contact Joanne at The Naked Raver. We finish with Avril Lavigne and her song Naked:
If you feel like a rave this Thursday 07 March evening, get yourself down to Fruitworks for a book launch and some FREE beer. As far as I know, there will be no nudity tho’ Rave Un 2 the Joy Fantastic at BOOKS, BEER and ROCK’N'ROLL - Booking is essential as we are nearly full:
About the Blogger: Peter Cook leads The Academy of Rock - Keynote events with a difference and Human Dynamics - Business and organisation development, training and coaching. Contact via peter@humdyn.co.uk
Just 3 points away from ‘The One Minute Manager’ and ahead of ‘From Good to Great’
Thank you all for your assistance through purchasing copies of “The Music of Business” and through all your tweets, facebook, linkedin, G+1 etc. It was truly a fantastic day on 31 1 13 and I was humbled by your support for the book. We gained articles in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and have had offers from the BBC and Sky News for features. We reached the Top 10 on the Amazon chart, passing evergreen books by world class authors such as John Kotter and Jim Collins, author of ‘From Good to Great’ and nearly passing ‘The One Minute Manager’ by Ken Blanchard. This is unheard of for a book produced in this way. Click on the logos to read some of the articles.
In case you had not realised, The Music of Business is an indie release and NOT backed by a large publisher such as The FT, Kogan Page, Penguin, Wiley and so on. Having published several books with established publishers, I chose NOT to do this on this occasion. That makes the achievement even more remarkable. I was firmly told by several PR agents that “I would not get anywhere on my own without their help”. This proved to be wrong. So, what could we learn from this ‘media experiment’? Someone wisely observed that we succeeded in this enterprise through Creativity and Collaboration. They are fundamentally correct. Here’s a bit more detail for those of you seeking to be DIY entrepreneurs and authors:
I had already built a considerable following through previous book releases, face to face networking and social media.
I systematically went out to get a range of high quality endorsements from companies such as Lloyds, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, HP, University College London etc. These were matched by references from Richard Strange and Harvey Goldsmith in the music world. Some of this was planned, the rest relied on a degree of luck. As Louis Pasteur observed “Chance favours the prepared mind”.
I carefully planned a launch day and communicated this to national and international media. This was to involve as many people as possible, taking offers of goodwill as they came.
At the same time, we remained open to opportunities and offers which could not be planned in advance.
My wife points out that I was also on the job 24/7 to make this happen. Innovation is part inspiration, but mostly perspiration!
In the event, people were exceptionally kind in spreading the word via various media and I must thank them once again for this kindness.
Contact us if you would like to harness this kind of power for your own marketing and PR, whether it’s for your business or for a personal enterprise such as a book. I’ll be at Entrepreneur Country this Wednesday 27th February and the University of Oxford Business School the day after if anyone wants to catch up.
As a special thank you, I am offering two free vouchers for my new online learning programme “The Music of Business” in exchange for a few words by way of a review. Claim your free voucher HERE by Sat 02 March. Read all about it here:
Finally, in the spirit of TOTP, let’s see some of the great moments from that show including a rare live performance by David Bowie:
Last week saw the 50th anniversary of the recording of The Beatles first album “Please, Please Me”. This caused me to go out and play a version of “Blue Jay Way” from “The Magical Mystery Tour” as a rather unusual contribution to a 50th anniversary night on the Fab Four. It also set me thinking about the enduring legacy of The Beatles music as compared with the long tail of one hit wonders that typify the music business. Given that businesses rarely last 50 days let alone 50 years, it also made me think about some comparisons with businesses that have longevity. Thankfully, my own business has lasted 18 years.
Perhaps one single fact that we learn in business from the example of The Beatles is that managers (and people in general) are rather bad at foresight. After recording fifteen tracks for Decca records, the group were told that “guitar groups are on their way out” and “the Beatles have no future in show business.” Decca instead chose a group called the Tremoloes, who were local and would not cost as much money. In business, Sony missed the digital revolution probably because they had a record company. The question for the smart leader is:
“What long range future trends are we about to miss, because of our investment in the present and the past?”
Beatlenomics – “Give me money, that’s what I want”
The Beatles flexed musical styles within the context of pop music and broke many boundaries of what could be considered to be pop music at the time. We can hear their influence in ELO, some of Prince’s orchestrated work, Oasis, Kurt Cobain, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Paul Weller, Blur and so on. Perhaps this has ultimately helped them maintain longevity, as others have built their music on the ‘safe scaffolding’ of what they did. It probably also helped that they stopped making records before sliding inexorably down the other side of their ‘innovation S curve’.
The challenge to modern businesses, leaders and entrepreneurs is to change what you are doing even when there is apparently no need to do so, at the top of your ‘S Curve’. The question for the smart leader is:
“Where are you on your S Curve?”
The S Curve and Reinvention
What other business lessons can we learn from The Beatles? Post your thoughts here.
To learn more about The Beatles and Creativity in Business, try my new online learning programme “The Music of Business”. Claim a 50% discount voucher (7+ hours of top quality learning for just $65 instead of $125) HERE. Read all about it here:
To read “The Music of Business”, get in touch with me for your signed copy, delivered worldwide via The Music of Business.
We leave with the title of this blog and a video I made for the online programme on the creativity contribution from The Beatles:
Later on in the ‘warm up’, I responded to the trial question, which was “Should Her Majesty the Queen now hand over power to her family?” As we were in the Mick Jagger centre, I was compelled to break rule No 2 above by saying to the panel:
