Pharrell Williams is more than a pop musician under an oversized hat. He’s the head of a thriving creative, philanthropic and profitable company “i am Other.” He has his hands in everything from music to fashion, to internet ventures like Kickstarter.
With that kind of success you’d expect a big ego to fit the big hat. Not true. Today’s Suggested Reading is last November’s profile of Williams in Fast Company Magazine. It reveals a thoughtful, creative and gracious leader – with several teambuilding and management lessons worth sharing:
Teams Matter Most
“When you envisage success, you should see all the people you work with, in addition to yourself.”
It’s not that there is no “I” in team, it’s that an individual cannot succeed outside of one. If you are on or lead a team, and your team succeeds, you are seen as successful – if your team fails, it doesn’t matter how good you are.
Young & Enthusiastic Is Good, But Experience Matters Too.
This means being open to hiring people older and wiser than you are.
“I used to hire 21-year-old monsters with a twinkle in their eye,” (Pharrell) adds. “I saw potential, but it was what I thought they could do, not what they could actually do. But you know what happens when you surround yourself with people with experience, who’ve seen everything a million times? A lot of them are gonna be older than you. “
Check Your Ego Under Your Hat (sorry)
“Williams’s productivity is remarkable, but perhaps more impressive is his humility. In the two hours we are together, he takes credit for . . . nothing.”
Always look for ways to give credit to others. This both forces humility through constantly being reminded others are doing great work, and makes it more likely that others will want to work with you. If others want to work with you, you are more likely to be more successful.
(read the full Fast Company article here: Get Busy: Parrell’s Productivity Secrets)