I was in Auckland last week for work. I love Auckland. Now know I’m not supposed to admit that, but I do. And so it wasn’t all work while I was there, there was definitely some play too. The highlight? I went to Cirque Du Soleil! I swear my mouth is still sore from gaping, those people have zero bones, 100% muscle.
So besides my complete and utter recommendation that you visit Dralion for yourself, this is supposed to be a business blog, so I’ll get back on track.
As I watched the show, I started thinking about the circus as a metaphor for a business. You have a team of people with various skills, gathered together to achieve the object of performing for a crowd. That’s not so different from the average business or company. You have your workspace, teams of people, experts, act-leaders, and an overall ringmaster. Noone is successful completely by themselves, and when the chemistry between the folks is right, it’s SO right.
The key thing I was thinking about, was how important it is to be surrounded by a team who you respect and trust. To achieve that triple-barrelled somersault off a spinning wheel, you need to trust the guy who is holding the wheel. To pull off a key presentation to a client you also need backup. And not just your immediate team, but each performer needs to trust those both ‘above’ and ‘below’ him. The ringmaster (manager) telling him where to stand, the guys who prepared the props (admin) and a belief in the system, so he can demonstrate his skills without reinventing his wheel. There is trust even the audience (client) to some extent, that they are ready to accept what you have to show off, and are worth building a relationship with.
It’s also important that the whole team are aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses so help can be given when needed. A great CEO knows what all his staff do in their everyday roles, but leaves them to do what they’re best at. So too, the guy who passes the juggler his balls has some juggle skills himself, but leaves the expert – the juggler, to take centre stage.
A circus and a business both need good leaders, team players, experts, and customers. And, well, I guess clowns will always be clowns!
