Sex, Leadership and Rock 'n' Roll

Peter Cook author of the book ‘Sex, Leadership and Rock n Roll. Leadership Lessons from The Academy of Rock asks business’ ” Who’s playing the drums and bass in your business while all your stars are busy playing solos and smashing up their guitars’? ‘Who is sustaining innovation while your key players are crashing into new markets and crucifying your budget’?

Peter Cook is a dynamic and energetic Business Guru, who integrates the necessary creativity of music into business, identifying that the world of business would thrive if they were to develop a business model based on that of a balanced, creative, free thinking composer.

Peter’s philosophy is that business’ need ‘to tune into innovation, rather than focus in on rigid, autocratic structure, which puts a lid on fluid and authentic creativity‘!  Peter recognises how ‘Too much structure produces a dull, rigid performance and too much improvisation and the band never get to play’.

So, how do business’ gain the ideal balance of creativity against the need for some form of structure? Academy of Rock Guru, Frank Zappa summed this conundrum up perfectly: ‘without deviation, progress is not possible’.

Peter often refers to song titles, as if thinking in music and a powerful quote in his book provides a perfect example of how Peter processes and shares information ‘

‘If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music…I get most joy in life out of music’ Albert Einstein.

Peter Cook is not only an Author and Business Guru but also a Scientist, therefore genius is definitely behind the thinking of his dynamic approach to developing relationships and business. I have no doubt Albert Einstein would applaud Peter’s approach to developing and sustaining business.

The Kings of Leon proved that Sex sells; Leadership is a skill you either have or will never have and Rock n Roll was once deemed the work of the devil when Elvis Presley changed the world of music! We all know resistance is futile and as Sam Cooke informed us so eloquently ‘A Change Gunna Come‘! Peter encourages corporations to ‘cut the crap, start the rap and reach for something that engages both hearts and minds’. Music is indeed a powerful media and Peter reminds the reader about the global success and power of music in reference to Band Aid focusing the world on famine in Africa.

Having watched the news (which I try to avoid) I was horrified to hear recently that this country is currently handing out food parcels to disabled and low income families in the UK! So put your hands in your pockets, because UK and global business needs your money NOW!

Peter Cook recognises how business’ have become more corporate and have lost their ‘Soul’. I agree wholeheartedly, having resigned from a Welfare To Work organisation last year purely because they did just that. The UK is predominantly a ’service provider’, thanks to politicians of the past! I have been alarmed at how corporations think less of the customer and more of the bottom line! Well as Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes once sang and was covered by the great John Legend, it is seriously time to ‘Wake Up Everybody‘!

Musicians are excellent at articulating the ‘word on the street’  in the form of lyrics, beats, melodies and rhythm.  Dance Music is a huge seller, therefore, CEO’s need to realise it’s time to get down from their ivory towers and get on the dance floor with the people, to discover what’s really ‘going down’!  Peter also runs seminars for schools, which would no doubt please Whitney Housten who sang ‘The Greatest Love of All‘ and believed ‘the children are our future’!

Sex, Leadership and Rock n Roll is a breath of fresh air to read as it covers every aspect of business relations, including the most fundamental aspect of all, relationships. It encourages people to think creatively and in rhythm of the beat of the customer for sustainability purposes. Your business could either end up a ‘one hit wonder’ or maintain success, as have some of the greatest musicians of all time, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Madonna and David Bowie. They are all perfect business role models and prime examples of the genius of Charles Darwin’s theory of the ‘survival of the fittest’ and how success is an evolutionary process, where we all need to adapt to global change!

Peter Cook is currently writing another book called ‘Punk Rock HR‘ A No Bullshit Guide to Hiring, Inspiring and Firing Staff!  This man certainly knows how to tell it like it is ‘Rock n Rolly’ style and is in constant demand for his Academy of Rock seminars, having been invited to do a 30 minute keynote at The Customer Service Training Awards at Heathrow on 8th July,  Athens in October, UAE in November and South Africa in February.

You can contact Peter Cook at The Academy of Rock.

Joy Andrews Business/Artist Development

That said, coaching is often mentioned as a critical component of much personal and corporate success.  So, what wisdom lies beneath the hype?  Although it may not be trendy, I reach for a classic approach which just works.  Borrowing our blog title from Scandinavian glam popstars Abba, the GROW model articulates the essential things that any good coach will do for their clients.  Simply stated, GROW stands for:

Goals – What does your customer really really want to achieve?
Reality – Where are they now?
Options – What innovative options may be considered?
Wrap up – What will happen next?

A great coach systematically moves their client from ‘might do’ through ‘can do’ to ‘will do’.  Some coaches make the GROW model an explicit part of the process, following it in stages, others use it as a flexible template from which they operate with flair.  My choice in these matters comes down to what the client wants / needs / expects rather than my own whims and preferences.

In this series of blogs, I will briefly explore each stage of the GROW approach from the point of view of asking great questions that provoke movement on the client’s part.  This ‘Socratic’ (question based) approach is just one style.  In practice, I often mix a questioning approach with feedback and good old plain advice when there is a need for this, but we’ll stick to the question based approach here.  So, when getting someone to focus on a goal, here’s some great starting questions to help frame the desired outcome:

• What do you really really want to achieve, as opposed to what you might just like to achieve?
• What’s essential versus nice to have in terms of improved performance?
• If you could have it all, describe a day in your life?  Is that realistic?
• If you got your needs met, what would be the impact on you and the people you work with?
• What would have to happen for you to walk away feeling this time was well spent?
• If you had some outlandish wishes about your needs, what would they be?  If you could only have one of these, what would it be?
• What would happen that is not happening now?
• What outcome would you like from this session? How will this be of real value to you, in the short, medium and longer term?

Peter Cook is an author, business consultant and keynote speaker, specialising in exceptional corporate events and keynote speeches that blend business and music.  Peter does 1:1 and group coaching sessions as part of the work he does to move clients from innovative thought to profitable action.

It isn’t easy to maintain self motivation 365 days a year. We are all human and this means we have human experiences that can easily interfere with the self starter we all have within us. The winter has finally arrived and this can have a major impact on many of us. Duvet days beckon, but we need to listen to the alarm clock, it is telling us it is time to get up and seize the day.

If you are suffering from the dreaded procrastination bug, then there is only one thing you can do to overcome this affliction and that is to call up the self motivator in yourself and what ever it is you are putting off until tomorrow ‘just do it‘ today, in fact, why not ‘just do it’ NOW!

The Procrastinator

Imagine every day as you leave the house, the walls leading toward the front door need painting. Every day you leave the house saying to yourself  ”these walls need painting, I must get round to it”. However, every day you walk past the walls and continue to tell yourself you need to paint the walls on exit and entry to the house.

Imagine then you go to the nearest DIY store and select the colour and purchase the pot of paint.  You then return home and put the pot of paint down by the walls that need painting and say to yourself  ”I will paint the walls tomorrow”.  You feel fairly satisfied that you have at least purchased the pot of paint.  However, the following day you leave the house, walking past the pot of paint and repeat the mantra ” I must paint these walls”.  The days continue with the following mantra!  So you now have choices. You can either paint the walls or sell the pot of paint!!

The Self Motivator

Leaves the house that morning saying ” These walls need painting” Proceeds to the nearest DIY shop the same day. Comes home. Paints the walls.  The next day, leaves the house looking at the walls saying to themselves ” that looks so much better” and feels very pleased with themselves and the sense of achievement helps them have a better day as they leave the house and very welcoming as they arrive home!

This scenario fits every task, be it at home or at work.

Set yourself goals, remain focussed, visualise the outcome and just do it..simple but very effective!

Joy Andrews Business Coaching

Online Coaching Options

Rather than picking up the yellow pages and calling a coach, look online for some business coaching ideas. You can coach your sales team into making some discoveries and achievements through online research. Affiliate programs are one way that you can increase your online presence. Tasking your salespeople with researching these programs can be more effective than doing it yourself. It will show your salespeople that you trust them, which in turn makes them feel appreciated and increases their morale. Also, it helps them feel invested in your company. Two heads–or multiple heads–are better than one. Give them some time, and your salespeople will probably uncover some marketing ideas that will save money and make more cash. Empowering your staff in this way is both more efficient and more effective than just bringing in an expert to talk to them. Once your staff has uncovered some good ideas, make sure to reward them publicly. Public praise is usually more effective than private praise, and this kind of feedback can create continued achievement from your staff.

I believe that Stress could be the next epidemic this country will face, if it isn’t already! Stress is known as the silent killer, it can creep up at any time and cause no end of physical and emotional health problems, costing business’ billions and people their lives.

Are you suffering from Stress?

Here are some symptoms of Stress. If you tick more than one of the symptoms, then you are indeed suffering from Stress, which, if left untreated, could lead to major physical health implications.

• Anger
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Changes in behaviour
• Food cravings
• Lack of appetite
• Frequent crying
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling tired
• Difficulty sleeping

What are common Stress Triggers?

• A general increase in the pace and complexity of working life brought about by the rapid growth in information technology
• The erosion of personal space and time resulting from developments in communications technology
• Increased workloads resulting from staff cutbacks, etc
• Increasingly informed and demanding customers and clients
• Lack of job security
• The stresses involved in commuting to and from work, travelling on the job etc.

Where there is recession, there is stress. Business’ downsize on human resources, but there expectations on the existing staff performances increase. Redundancies, unemployment, low income, there are many triggers for a Stress Attack, but behind every trigger there is Change of some sort and where there is Change there is Loss!

How do you manage your Stress?

From my many years experience firstly as a Therapist and now as a Coach, I have assisted many people in Stress Management Techniques. However, in order to manage your stress, you need to first recognise and then accept that Stress is affecting you and your loved ones.

Self Awareness is the key to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Here are a few Stress Relief Techniques

• Exercise – no surprises there – simply walk for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Breathing from the Diaphragm – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hIKv2dsPC8&feature=related
• Take daily lunch breaks away from your workstations
• Spend time with friends
• Listen to Music regularly and Dance
• Have FUN, watch Comedy Films, Laugh out Loud!
• Stop watching the news and reading the papers – they are full of doom and gloom!!

I am a great advocate for fun and laughter, laughter is most definitely the best medicine.  Unfortunately, I actually witnessed Management in high pressure Corporate working environments, informing employee’s not to laugh so much!  Can you actually believe that!?  We all know the financial impact Stress can have on business’ – Stress costs business’ billions every year in the UK alone.

Poor Stress Management Techniques

Alcohol consumption/dependency is on the increase and binge drinking is becoming a national health issue.  Binge drinking is not only a teenage health risk, it is a health risk for all ages and alcohol dependency is becoming an issue for every age group!

I am left with no doubt, that we as a nation are taking life far too seriously and I mean that seriously!

Is it time for you and your business to do a Stress Audit?

http://joyandrewsbusinesscoaching.co.uk/