Where Art Meets Business

I didn’t expect to have a career in corporate business. With childhood roots in the performing arts, I grew up with a practiced discipline to sing, act, dance and tell stories. It was my calling, or so I thought.  

After nearly 20 years in the professional services industry, I find myself discovering new links among the arts, leadership and business worlds. With a revised calling to cultivate creativity in business, the connection among them seems more pronounced than ever.

1.     Remember it’s all about the story. Corporate storytelling in business isn’t new. Successful marketers have been doing it for decades. What’s different is the ability for all of us to tell our unique stories via social media platforms, in new virtual communications and with more effective storytelling tools. What’s also changed is our attention span, so the need to “grab your audience” quickly has never been truer. Can’t hook them in the first 30 seconds? Opportunity = lost.  

2.     Build trust. Being vulnerable, whether it’s on stage or off, requires courage. It also requires an unspoken mutual understanding that things will be okay, regardless of inevitable fumbles in execution. Leaping through the air and trusting your partner will catch you is akin to a business exchange between colleagues co-presenting a new idea. Trust must first be established to enable the full exploration and expression of art – and business.

3.     Collaborate and experiment. The harmony of a tightly synchronized vocal jazz quartet, orchestra, or well-choreographed dance ensemble demonstrates in-the-moment play and feeding off the energy of the other person. There is an organic give and take and a “yes, and” approach to building together. Collaboration at its best elevates the whole.  Group experimentation leads to unexpected outcomes that can’t be architected solo or in a vacuum. The sum is greater than its parts.

4.     Practice listening, empathy and finding connection. New actors struggle with this. They focus on their script and forget to be in the moment. Same is true in business. Salespeople fail when they walk in with a predetermined set of products or solutions to offer. What’s most important is the listening to the client, uncovering a need or pain point together, and empathizing with the challenge. Once that connection is formed, it’s easier to pivot to crafting solutions. Actors practice the skill of building subtext and motivation to compel action. Businesses excel when they do the same with their customers.

5.     Be creative. Think of how many versions of Romeo and Juliet have been performed over time. And yet, even with the same words, the opportunity for fresh interpretation and individual perspectives can shape and influence both the performance and the audience’s experience. In business, we often crave the next disruptive innovation – the business model that has yet to be born. The truth is, much of any business’s success is attributable to a fresh, authentic and relevant interpretation of something that worked before. Sustainable success is about incremental improvements. This variety of innovation fuels growth and inspires talent to bring their best.

Like sunlight patterns on the wall, the beauty of art and business is found within its dynamic and fluid life. It’s in motion. It requires context. It has the potential to move you and inspire action. My two callings are perhaps more unified in their pull than I once thought. What a privilege to take part in creating these stories and experiences for each audience - and client. I encourage leaders to take a step back and appreciate the craft of building a business. It may just be your masterpiece in development.