What can Lady Gaga teach you about business strategy and using social media to build a powerful brand? What can you learn about creativity and innovation from The Beatles and David Bowie? What can Spinal Tap, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin teach you about business strategy and project execution that an MBA cannot?
Those are just 3 questions answered in Peter Cook’s new book “The Music of Business“, and as someone who has a passion for business and for rock music, I was keen to find out more. How to do that? Well, talk to Peter about it!
For nearly 20 years now, Peter Cook has written, spoke and consulted about the parallels between the business universe and the world of music, be it rock, jazz, classical etc. and his blog is always worth a read. Since leadership is one of the book’s key themes, I asked Peter to offer us 7 bite-sized leadership lessons from Rock’n’Roll.
Here they are…
Lesson1: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for – U2
As Peter explained, it’s very much about 3D Characteristic #1 ‘Getting That Vision Thing’! “Business needs constant learning and reconnaissance. If you stop looking and learning, just like Kodak, you may disappear from view”
Lesson 2: Like a Virgin – Madonna
“To succeed in business, treat each day like it’s the first time. Business decline can come from comfort. Keep yourself alive. That’s all part of innovation and going the extra mile” said Peter. So, think 3D Characteristic #7 ‘Keep Working ON’!
Lesson 3: Wanna Be Starting Something? – Michael Jackson
“Michael had a great hit with ‘Wanna be starting something?’. It’s unlikely that we would have been as successful if he had called the song ‘Wanna be stopping something?’. Yet stopping the momentum of a failing project once in full flow is much harder than starting a new enterprise. The wise leader stops a project before it has failed and regroups” explained Peter.
Lesson 4: I Can’t Control Myself – The Troggs
Creativity at work without precise execution and discipline rarely leads to innovation. Peter explained that “I’m sure Reg Presley would have put this into the lyrics of “I Can’t Control Myself” if they had scanned! As you say Andy, innovation is all about the ‘successful exploitation of new ideas’!”
Lesson 5: Loving The Alien – David Bowie
“Opposites don’t attract at work even if they do in the home and in bed. Whether we like it or not, it’s easier to surround ourselves with agreeable people at work. Unfortunately agreeable people don’t ask each other terrifying questions, don’t generally have a diverse skill set and don’t dare to venture into unknown territories. Wise leaders welcome intellectual conflict by ensuring that there is a rich mixture of people, mixed up in different permutations from time to time.”
Lesson 6: Bad Romance – Lady Gaga 
“If you’re having trouble in a work relationship, change what you’re doing, rather than banging your head against the same wall. The definition of insanity is doing the same things expecting a different result. As you say, Andy… “Create a Dramatic Difference”.”
Lesson 7: The Great Pretender – Queen
The last point is about recognising your strengths and playing to them. Peter says “Leadership requires us to be a master of style: Dictator; salesperson; facilitator; confidant; comedian; entertainer; counsellor etc. Know your own range and operate within it. Be a great pretender but don’t pretend to be something outside your range of skills”
Peter’s new book, The Music of Business is available at Amazon and via The Music of Business webpage. Peter is also offering a free iPhone app with daily business tips on business in the same mode, available via the webpage.
So, in the words of Lou Reed, go on ‘Take A Walk On The Wild Side’!
