Five leadership Lessons from “The Greatest Night in Pop”
Netflix recently put out a great documentary on the making of WE ARE THE WORLD - a famine relief effort of the 80s.
The doc provides an insider's perspective on the collaborative writing sessions between Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, showcasing the extensive efforts invested in bringing together 46 of the world's most prominent music stars in a unified studio session to record the chart-topping track. Producer Quincy Jones implemented a key ethos for the occasion, symbolized by a sign on the studio door: "Check your egos at the door."
Here are five great leadership lessons:
1. You need a purpose.
The reason behind the work was just too compelling to ignore. There were millions of Ethiopians starving. Something needed to be done. The purpose was built-in.
Purpose is not always this clear-cut. But a purpose calls to the heart. It brings forth resources and engagement. It permits you to exist.
Purpose is the why. Why do we get out of bed every day? Why do we fight to keep the company afloat?
2. Just commit and trust it will work out.
The stress was palpable. Here you have three very busy people in Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones trying to write a song with only days left until recording. Then you have the logistical nightmare of getting 40 other busy superstars in the same room.
But necessity is the mother of invention. We often can’t get our ducks in a row at the front end. But we need to trust that the purpose will get the hard work and talent aligned to make it happen.
3. Check your ego at the door.
This was the sign on the door heading into the studio. Quincy and Lionel knew that they had to get that value front-and-center. There was a mission. There would be no room for prima donnas (by the way, noticeably absent was Madonna).
When the purpose is there, and the product is ready for execution - it’s time to just get it done.
4. You need to keep the most important stakeholder in mind.
Egos weren’t always checked in that room. You had Stevie Wonder wanting to sing in Swahili (even though Ethiopians have five national languages, one of them is NOT Swahili). Michael Jackson wanted to add his own flare at points. Ego was taking it off the rails. Waylon Jennings walked out! Not a good sign.
What brought it all back was the focus on the stakeholder. The main consumer of the song would be people who could help the Ethiopians, not the Ethiopians themselves.
No matter how great the purpose, or how big the talent - the key stakeholder always needs to remain front-and-center. Otherwise, you’ll just have a vanity project that made no money and helped no one. No one is immune to the need to succeed, not even a room full of 80s pop stars.
5. Leadership is about influence, not control.
Lionel and Quincy knew they would have ZERO chance to control these egos. They had to function out of influence, not control. Bottom line: you can’t command any of those personalities to play nice. You can’t even make them show up. Great leaders know that top talent needs to be influenced, never controlled.
Lionel demonstrated a masterful ability to leverage relationships and align personalities and teams. Quincy was able to calmly keep the whole thing moving, with just enough force to keep people in line. These both give us a masterful demonstration of influential leadership.