The Beatles were the most successful and influential musical act in history. Which is why there was so much interest in Get Back, the recently released movie. It gives fans a much-wanted glimpse at the Fab Four making a record. In addition to hearing new takes on famous songs, the film also gives us business lessons from the Beatles. Some ideas lean toward executive coaching and others strategic planning. But the ideas apply whether you are in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kentucky, Jacksonville, Florida or Liverpool, England.
The power of a team
It’s widely acknowledged that John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the greatest song writing and performing duo ever. But they weren’t alone. George Harrison developed into a giant talent. And Ringo was the perfect drummer (and very solid singer) for the band.
John and Paul put the group on the map. Then George and Ringo helped keep them there. And when John was struggling with his creativity, George was there to pick up the slack.
Team dynamics are always in flux. With the Beatles, there was no CEO who could lay down the law or lead strategic planning. It all came down to the power of teamwork, listening, collaborating, consensus and having fun. Easy to say, hard to do.
Creativity is key
The secret to the Beatles success is creativity. Yes, they were great singers and musicians. But the real secret sauce was the originality of their songs. And that sprang from creativity.
John and Paul had a songwriting arrangement. Anything they did would get credited to both of them. So often, John would start writing a song and then discuss it with Paul. McCartney would offer a few lines or maybe change a couple chords. And it was a Lennon-McCartney song. Together they wrote more #1 hits than anyone. Ever.
George didn’t have a writing partner. As a result, it took him a while to hone his ability to write a great song. George would eventually pen brilliant tunes like Something, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Here Comes the Sun. Proving that creativity can take time and be aided by osmosis. But everyone has the potential to be creative.
Krissi Barr of Barr Corporate Success
When you watch the Get Back movie, you understand how the Beatles changed the world and made billions of people happy. At Barr Corporate Success, we’re trying to change the world, too. We do it with executive coaching, strategic planning and behavioral assessments. We haven’t made billions of people happy yet, but we’re still trying. If you’re in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kentucky or Jacksonville, Florida and would like to learn how we could help make your business more fab, please give us a call.
