That is a quote from Lee Iacocca and it stands just as true today as it did when he first said it. This quote applies to most every industry and profession, but, in the media industry we have to always keep this top of mind.
Attention spans are getting shorter, people are able to watch what they want when they want, and the average consumer is inundated with marketing messages from everywhere nowadays. If our content does not lead the industry, it gets lost in the growing amount of clutter out there. If we don’t follow or emulate the people that are successfully attracting viewers to their entertainment product, again, our content gets lost in the clutter. And, of course, if we aren’t leading or following, then, we should truly get out of the way or be move out of the way by by someone else.
I read somewhere recently(sorry I don’t remember the source) that Apple, Inc. creates an atmosphere where ideas and leadership are challenged constantly. If a manager is not successfully doing their job, the team is encouraged to voice their concerns. If the manager continues to falter, then someone will quickly replace them. If this is true, I would contend that that is one of the reasons why Apple has consistently reinvented itself for the past few years and become one of the most respected businesses in the United States.
Far too often companies and people become complacent with where they are, it’s very easy to succumb to that. Many don’t like change and if something is working, why try to improve upon it? I would contend that as leaders in the media industry we must always challenge ourselves and our teams to go beyond status quo. Average work should never be considered an option in our industry.
Competition in this industry is fierce and there are always people right behind you ready to take the reigns, everyone is replaceable. No matter how high on the ladder you are, there will always be someone with new ideas and just as competent ready to lead. Eisner was replaceable and Jobs will be replaceable someday too, no matter how much people want to try and embellish the story otherwise. Will these new leaders be just as good? That is obviously impossible tell, but, if they keep up with innovation and challenging their business, I believe they will find success.
I don’t want it to sound like i’m saying our desire to innovate should be driven by the fear of those looking to replace us, rather, it should be driven by our desire to lead the industry, captivate audiences, challenge ourselves and challenge our teams. How boring would any form of mass media be today if there weren’t those people before us that pushed themselves and their teams to deliver something different and extraordinary.
Reflect upon what your team is doing, come up with a road map where you want to go, and execute on it. Challenge members of your team to deliver above and beyond, have them work with each other to create something the team has never seen before from them. Inspire and create an environment where over-delivering is encouraged and rewarded. Share with your team the results of their work, the successes and the failures. Examine why something failed and tweak a similar project the next time out.
If we cant lead or follow, then we should get out of the way. No one is safe in the ever changing landscape of this industry.
Even Disney and Apple at one point were both on the verge of breakups, buyouts and takeovers, it doesn’t matter how big they were, their relevance had diminished greatly due to lack of innovation and the ability to capture audiences. We always have to keep that in mind.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way!
