Hollywood film industry veterans will sometimes tell you that “directing is 90% casting.” The secret of being a great Director is fielding a team of talented people who don't really need much coaching to deliver a solid performance.
In the movie world, Steven Spielberg is the epitome of someone who directs his cast and crew to capture the audience’s imagination, while in business that role falls to people like Steve Jobs, who has proved himself brilliant at motivating his teams to create something “insanely great.” Both Directors have the ability to bring out the best in their teams, often with a contagious enthusiasm that spurs individuals and project groups to extraordinary achievements.
Sure, Directors have the mantle of authority, but the best ones don't have to rely on the power of the hierarchy. I dedicated a whole chapter to Directors in The Ten Faces of Innovation, but the role is more about coaching and mentoring than about being "the boss."
And great Directors--in busines and in film--are content to let others take center-stage, confident in the knowledge that their behind-the-scenes work will make the whole production come together. You never see Steven Spielberg onscreen—-except at the Oscars.
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, guest host: tom kelley, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood, Steve Jobs, Entertainment, Movies |
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Recent Comments | 9 Total
October 20, 2005 at 8:02pm by Kyle
Great! Now how do I explain to business folk that all my training in directing theatre and music is actually applicable to business?
October 20, 2005 at 8:33pm by S. Anthony Iannarino
Hi Tom,
We in business could stand to treat what we do more like an artistic production and our employees more as performers, couldn't we?
A
October 20, 2005 at 10:10pm by Olivier Blanchard
Exactly!
More on the subject here.
October 21, 2005 at 12:39am by Scott Aughtmon
This idea reminds me of Jim Collins idea in "Good To Great" in his chapter titled "First Who...Then What".
He talks about the idea of getting the right people on the bus and then figuring out where to drive it.
I think you can have an amazing vision and plan, but the wrong team, and the dream will still die.
I think you can have a mediocre vision and plan, but with the right people, and you will accomplish amazing things!
October 21, 2005 at 2:53am by Roger Fulton
Hello.....anybody here in middle management?...on the REAL firing line?...reading real memos from the hacks upstairs covering their rear ends by hiking YOUR goals through the roof?? When was the last time YOU could make a decision without passing it through two committees or 'TEAMS' your boss constructed around you, so that you were isolated from making your own decisions???? Hmm?
Thought so. Dreamers. There is only one Stephen Speilberg and he calls all the shots, once he gets the budget approved.
So, KYLE...take your tap dance lessons and see if your CEO adores the action it engenders in your store front sales figures. If so - more power to you. If not, figure something else out for this quarter's sales budgets except a re-do of the window treatments.
http://journals.aol.com/rogdodger1/nowhearthis/
October 21, 2005 at 3:50am by Rimantas
It was Collins book I thought too, while reading :)
October 21, 2005 at 1:37pm by David Kramer
I like Tom's analogy between the director and the corporate coach.
Like a movie director, coaches don't create the plots or write the screenplays. We don't script our clients' solutions for them. We engage our clients in the types of provocative conversations that help them become more aware of themselves and the unbounded possibilities for improvement and greatness that are available to them in every moment.
I've heard it said that the best directors are those who love actors. And so, similarly, the best coaches are those who enjoy their clients immensely, being present to support them as they move out of their comfort zone to take calculated risks.
David
October 21, 2005 at 2:29pm by S. Anthony Iannarino
Wow! Roger's comments are really, really hostile. Listen, brother, if the position you describe is the position you find yourself in, you owe it to yourself to leave your job now. No one can be happy, successful, or fulfilled in that kind of environment. Believe me there are places in business where you can contribute and work with a group of people who will help you establish and reach your sales goals--without worrying about covering their own ass.
And, as for your comments regarding Kyle . . . ever try to manage a bunch of artists? Spielberg may be the boss, but I imagine he may be smart enough to listen to the people who participate in his ventures (I don't believe anyone reachs his level of success by themselves).
October 25, 2005 at 10:53am by Mick Grillo
I have to comment here...Directing is important, casting is important and script is important. However, when discussing "directing", just like "managing", less is more. I mean, if you can control a large amount of people under stressful deadlines, over runs, etc. and continue to get to your goal, you have mastered directing. If a manager or director is doing the job well, it becomes a seamless process and the goal is achieved. If the final result is great, the director is largely responsible and can make a bad script and a bad actor look good. In addition, if the director is good, the rest of the cast and crew will work harder because they believe in the project. Success starts from the bottom up. Its the directors responsibility to expedite this process, knowing the most important thing is to have all spokes on the wheel working together for a smooth ride.