History Buffness
While in Chicago recently we saw the show Million Dollar Quartet Live, a fascinating look at the night when Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were all at Sun Records in Memphis with legendary producer and discoverer of great talent, Sam Phillips. A lot of stuff went down that night including Johnny Cash’s split with Sun, Phillips opportunity with a major label, the shenanigans of Jerry Lee and the Blue Suede Shoes drama between Elvis and Carl Perkins.
I’m sure much of it was fictionalized but I left knowing a lot more about the history of rock and roll than I knew when I arrived. Because I am a huge fan of music (and would be a rock and roll star myself except for a complete lack of musical talent), I loved this show. Knowing the history, really of anything, makes me feel more a part of it.
This translates to some good career advice as well. Learn everything you can about the history of the industry in which you are interested. Read biographies and autobiographies of those who pioneered it or shook it up or caused controversy. Some really amazing stories are out there. You can start this even before you are actually working in the industry and through your public library, it’s no-cost professional development! If you know the company you want to work for or are already employed, study the history of the company and its founders in the same way.
There are few guarantees in this world, but I can say with confidence that studying the history of your industry and company will help you succeed.
What do you think?