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

Such was the case recently when The Business Woman’s Network decided to produce a nude calendar of their membership in the style of Calendar Girls.  Quite aside from the confidence required by these women to do such a thing, this unique phenomenon has a much more serious reason – that of fundraising for a Hospice.

So give these nude business women some of your kudos and more importantly some of your money.  I got involved today as their leader Mandie Holgate, asked me if I would be prepared to go naked ….  NO.. thank goodness …  to deliver a keynote event to launch the naked calendar at their next event on July 7th in Essex.  I have agreed to deliver this free on behalf of them and the hospice.

We’ll be exploring aspects of ‘nakedness’ aka being your authentic self in the context of leadership, drawing on examples from the world of business and music to help us explore the subject from different perspectives.

So come on down – as I said in the promotional material – you don’t have to take your clothes off to have a good time…

Speaking of which I must say that, although I rarely watch TV, I was mesmerised by Lady Gaga on Paul O’ Grady’s show last night.  Lady Gaga is a great example of someone who knows how to present themselves.  On the show, she presented herself nude in the folicle department….  take a look at this stunning piece of authentic performance …

If the Nude Business Woman’s Calendar is even half as good as Lady Gaga’s performance last night, they will be rightly proud of themselves.  Book yourself in for the launch party – Leadership, Nudity and Rock ‘n’ Roll 7th July – Essex – its nearly FREE!

Peter Cook is the Rock’n’Roll Business Guru, delivering exceptional corporate events and keynote speeches that blend business and music.

It’s an idea which has gained currency from Dennis Tourish, Professor of Leadership at the University of Kent and John Howitt, a session musician whose track record includes performances with Celine Dion, Anastasia, Shirley Bassey amongst others.  Professor Tourish is leading a free showcase event on leadership, coaching and Rock’n’Roll on 22nd March.

So, can you coach Leadership?  Dennis Tourish suggests that many companies have lost their way, giving example by way of pointing out that bad systems in companies tend to encourage bad practices.  He cites the appraisal system as one of the worst culprits.  Great leaders find much better ways to coach their staff to peak performance, encouraging them to bring their heads, hearts and souls to work.

John Howitt’s work with rock’s monarchy emphasises the importance of authenticity in leadership.  When I asked John what marks out the great from the good in this area, he points out that many of the stars he has worked with in the music business are what is known as ‘emotionally literate’ in the coaching world.  In other words, they sense how they come across to others and adjust their approach to meet the needs of those they work with.  Prince is a great example of the emotionally literate leader, as is Tim Smit, CEO of the Eden Project.  John offers quite an unexpected outlook on leadership, compared with the commonly held notions of ‘sex, drugs and rock’n’roll’.   And with many parallels for leadership in business and surprisingly in synch with Professor Tourish’s work.  Simply stated:

Great leaders live inside their own heads and assess their impact on those they serve, just like great rock stars.

Bad musicians live in their own space and don’t know what’s going on around them, in the same way that bad leaders are emotionally bankrupt.

Professor Tourish and John Howitt will be outlining how leaders can be better coaches alongside some lessons in leadership from the likes of Prince, Anastasia, Meatloaf and Madonna at the free Leadership showcase event on March 22.  Contact the author if you would like to experience something similar closer to home.

For more information about Peter Cook:  The Rock’n’Roll Business Guru, visit The Academy Of Rock.

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.

The benefits to company owners of the corporate team building experience is that the activities on offer are specifically designed to bond and strengthen the team which in turn helps boost morale.

The experience will certainly make members of  staff feel more involved as the courses are based on team accomplishments rather than personal achievement and as such every member of the team is included in making decisions and motivating each other.

This in turn makes the team feel more valued which will help increase company profitability whilst providing a strong platform on which to build a business.

Forward thinking business managers  realise that team building event programmes need to become part of the company culture and feature in the long term plans of an organisation rather than as a one off event to provide a quick fix solution.

Anyone that has taken part in an out of hours staff outing or get together, be it ten pin bowling or white water rafting will agree that the event was in fact a lot more enjoyable than they had anticipated and can’t wait for the next opportunity to repeat the experience.

It is a fact, that some time out can make a difference, whether you want motivational outdoor team building activities, physical adventure team building events, mental team challenges or just a fun time for all!