A few days ago I thought I had lost an hour of my life watching how the teen group One Direction made it through weeks of the British version of the X Factor. I admit I was watching to stay up to date on my teen’s interests, and that it had nothing to do with work. However there’s a little life lesson for the entrepreneur in this group’s rise to success.
Big stars (ie. Katy Perry) doubted they were ready for success. Judges commented that they had a lot to work on. When they were pulled from the competition as individual talent, they didn’t fall apart. They seemed to THRIVE once they were put into a group. And even Simon Cowell, who has a rep of being just a tad negative, praised their efforts and even spilled the beans as to why they were improving each week.
Ready?
1. Support. These guys didn’t leave the individual talent completion with a grudge. When they were put into a group they took it seriously that it was their “lifeline” to success and bolstered each other. When one guy wasn’t confident about dancing the others stepped in. When one wasn’t strong on a vocal, anther took the lead. All together and one for all!
2. Listening. Simon didn’t linger on this compliment; however it was clear that these guys were given the best music coaches in the business. They worked hard with their coaches. This sounds like a no-brainer, but have you ever heard of a business that hired a consultant and then ignored their best advice? For young teens these guys are pretty darned savvy!
3. Nice to Fans. Have you ever heard or seen a movie star who shunned their fans? I saw Senator Ted Kennedy once and I remember his scowl when a crowd was shouting out hellos. In business, I was in a body shop when a guy with a dented car drove in and the owner aggressively growled, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” and the poor guy rolled up his window and drove away. Being nice to your fans, constituents, and customers goes a long way.
4. Nice to the Staff. This was straight out of Simon Cowell’s mouth. He complimented them for how nice they were to the crew and staff. I never thought about Simon Cowell as one who would value “nice”, but really nice goes a long way in any business.
Ok, this is pretty basic stuff. Stuff we all think we know. However, it doesn’t hurt to reflect and check to see if we are doing what it takes to be a success in any business.
