The arts provide us
an escape from the labor of the mind and hands to the passions of the heart and
soul. Sure, we have to make a living and most of us find jobs that we like. Nevertheless,
work is work and no matter how sophisticated, there is always some level of
monotony and mind numbing behavior involved. Fortunately, there are great
artists that lift our spirits and inspire our souls through their music,
writing, painting, sculpting, and other mediums.
Growing up in Chicago, I was introduced
to the Blues in my 20’s visiting Blues Clubs on
the near north side. The music
didn’t heat up until about midnight and it was light outside by the time you
left to go home. There was something about the woeful lyrics, crying guitar and
weeping harmonica that simply made you feel like dancing in the aisles. Unfortunately,
most of the great blues musicians have passed on and the art form itself may be
in danger.
Then there is Joe Bonamassa. Joe
is 38 years old and his mission in life is “to keep the Blues alive.” Bonamassa
is a guitar prodigy having backed up B.B. King when he was 12 years old. Joe
Bonamassa is not a household name and never will be, as the Blues has never had
universal appeal. For example, of all my friends and relatives I can only think
of a few who truly like the Blues (liking the The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin
does not count.)
We typical don’t think of artists
as leaders. However, I will point out that Joe Bonamassa’s leadership skills
have been as important as his guitar talent in giving him his strong
international following. In Joe’s case, I believe the following four leadership
traits are what have drawn millions of people to be evangelists for his music.
Maximizing his unique talents
Joe Bonamassa was born to play
guitar. Not only did Bonamassa back up B.B. King when he was 12, he regularly
plays with rock blues greats such as Eric Clapton. Bonamassa owns
hundreds of guitars and uses different ones for each song he plays on stage. He
is a perfectionist seeking the right sound at the right time as he blends his
guitar playing into the work of about a dozen other musicians on stage.
Joe sings and
writes his own songs but there is never a question that his guitar is the star
of the show. The Orange County Register wrote, “Joe is
unquestionably among our greatest living guitarists, destined to be counted
among the greatest of all-time.”
With such skill, Joe could have
chosen many musical paths. He chose to play the blues. Focusing on something
you love may not make you the most money but it does enable you to become truly
outstanding in your niche. Joe’s passion
for the blues goes beyond entertaining blues lovers. He founded the
international foundation “Keeping the Blues Alive.” His foundation provides
music scholarships to talented musicians.
Of course, Joe’s focus is
combined with hard work. He plays over 200 live shows a year and averages
recording more than one album each year. He also does projects with other
entertainers related to his focus on blues and guitar. Joe has a fanatical
dedication to his work and his audiences show their appreciation through
dedication to him.
Building the Brand
If you saw Joe Bonamassa on the
street you would likely look past him. He doesn’t have the natural charisma and
flash of most great entertainers. He is common looking and modest. For example,
he does not have the toothpick legs that look great in leather pants as we see
in most rock stars. However, Joe took what he has and created a chic image. His
look of wearing a suit without a tie and sunglasses has become a trademark for
him. He has also effectively used social media to build and enhance his
distinctive persona.
Surrounding himself with other talented artists and sharing the
spotlight
Although Joe’s guitar solos are
the star of the show, the show is always bigger than Joe is. He spares no
expense in hiring great musicians to back him up. For example, he always has a
wind section that thrusts the music to a fuller level of energy and rhythm. His
keyboardist garners many ovations for his solos throughout any performance. Joe
provides all of his musicians the opportunity to show off their skills and he
makes a point of introducing each of them to the audience genuinely thanking
them publicly for their help.
Lessons learned
Joe Bonamassa is not only a great
guitar player but also a great leader and we can learn from his success. Maximizing
your unique talent, focusing on your passion, building your brand, and
surrounding yourself with a talented supporting team are keys to success in
business as well.
Joe said once that the greatest
advice he ever received from B.B. King was not about guitar playing but about
business. B.B. said, “It’s about music but it’s also about business. Joe, you
need to always reinvest back into what you do, back into your fan base. Fans
can detect if you’re not doing that, if you’re not doing things to improve the
show.”
In Joe Bonamassa’s case the show
is continuously improved through his unending quest to perfect the sound of his
guitar, focusing on the blues, providing his fans a consistently exciting product
through strong brand management, and surrounding himself with the best
musicians in the world that share his passions.
B.B.’s advice relates to any
business. Just replace “music” and “show” with “product or service” and “fan
base” with “customer” and you’d think it was a Peter Drucker quote. At C-Level
Partners, we believe nearly every human being has achieved some level of
success in a unique way. We can learn a great deal from a significant number of
people if we listen and watch carefully enough! If you have some thoughts on this topic,
feel free to comment and pass along this blog to others. Also, please feel free to contact me at ddrent@clevelpartners.net or call
me (714-290-3892) to discuss how to apply these leadership skills to your
business.
By the Way, if you are curious to
hear Joe’s sound click the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggLgFDzqwCA
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