This past year I came across the following anecdote while reading Philip Norman’s Paul McCartney: A Life. It’s similar to advice we routinely hear in business, though my guess is that it’s not always been applied.
Kudos to John Lennon for having made the wise decision. Had he not, we’d have never heard of a group called The Beatles.
When as a teen Paul McCartney became serious about playing guitar — and he’d been playing it constantly, even when sitting on the toilet — he began looking for a group to play with.
It was a quest that led him to The Quarrymen, with John Lennon the front man. Upon making introductions, Paul then showed his stuff. The kid was good. Now John had a decision to make. It was a decision that would change music history.
Up until then he’d been the kingpin of his band, the leader and Alpha male of the pack. As he weighed the pros and cons of accepting Paul into the group, he was conscious of the reality that if Paul joined, his own “head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest” stature could be reduced. On the other hand, he also knew that the group would be a better group, with a stronger, more powerful stage presence.
It’s an important leadership lesson to consider. By choosing to empower another and by choosing what was best for the team, John ultimately became the beneficiary.
Leadership decisions have ramifications. In this instance it was the initial cobbling together of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting factory. Setting aside his ego proved to be an empowering decision that opened more doors than anyone could ever have imagined.
About the Author: Ed Newman
Now retired from a 30+ year career in advertising, marketing & PR, Ed Newman continues to do freelance writing (since 1982) and daily blogging (since 2007). He is also an artist and enjoys playing harmonica.
For more info check out: pioneerproductions.blogspot.com
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