Posted By admin on July 6, 2009

Regardless of what you thought of him, you have to admit that Michael Jackson was a powerful figure.  The influence he had on our music, our culture, our country, and our world was simply amazing.

And while the media is enthralled with his personal life (and so was I for the first few days after his passing), I’ve now turned my attention to the business he built.  An icon of his magnitude was, most certainly, doing a lot of things right, and I’ve listed below just three that I’ve observed and plan to use as I continue to mind my own business. 

1.  Michael Jackson realized that his number one competition was himself.  Even once he’d proven himself as the “King of Pop” and his recordings had sold more than any others, he strived for more. 

At some point, you’d think he’d stop and say “OK, I’ve made it!  I’m at the top and no one is even close to catching up with me!”  But he didn’t.   He kept striving, even when the competition was himself.

There’s a lesson in that.

2.  Secondly, if there was something he thought was hindering him from reaching his goal, he got rid of it.  For us that could be negative people, destructive habits, or unsucessful practices we keep holding to, thinking that “one day” things will change.  Most times they don’t.

3.  And lastly, Michael Jackson taught us to be bold enough to invent something new.  If we follow his example, we won’t satisfied with the things currently around us, but we’ll have the guts to blaze a new path.  

Perhaps lke you, I’ve heard more on about Michael Jackson over the past week or so than I ever cared to know, but one thing I heard recently has stuck with me.  A musician acquaintance of his said that MJ had spoken with him about inventing a new instrument.  Michael Jackson knew what he knew about exising instruments and was creative, inquisitive, and daring enough to want to invent a new one.  That’s something!

And if you’re over 35 years of age, you may know that Michael Jackson revolutionized the way that music videos are done.  He was the first person to make them into the major productions they are today, complete with hundreds of people, changing sets, complex themes, etc.

His vision allowed him to see beyond the obvious and his talent allowed him to create what no one else had.

These three simple lessons are critical to business growth and can be found implemented by many successful businesses today.  I encourage you to take them to heart.

Rest in peace, Michael.  And thank you.

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