In the newest edition of Rolling Stone (RS 1071 January 21, 2009), there is an interview by David Fricke with some of members of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteens faithful band that has toiled with him for decades. Beneath the barrage of hype behind his new album "Working on a Dream" lies the interesting release patterns Mr. Springsteen has begun to take. Once a man of long, arduous sessions with gaps of 2 to 3 years between albums, Bruce has streamlined his processes and has delivered two albums in just over a year.
As outlined in earlier blogs, I discussed Bruce's business model and and admired how he assembled his company. His change in release patterns highlights the path he has taken to create a business environment fueled by artistic inspiration. These people not only have their place in this company, they are happy to be in the position that they are in. All of them no longer have the financial need to tour, but are summoned by the greater good, and the work that becomes.....well, just a little unlike work!!
In the article Little Steven remarks "because the communication, the friendship, is where it all begins. That's what makes a band. That's why bands are different than individuals. They communicate something different, by their nature. You are not just communicating music. You are communicating friendship, brotherhood, sisterhood and ultimately your community. It doesn't matter if there's one guy who's a leader. It's a band. You are communicating community, and an individual cannot do that. The way to do is to be. And as long as you are there being, then nothing needs to be said."
What a great approach for a company to take, to seek that ability to communicate the greater good through communal force. Also significant is Mr. Van Zant's assertion that "it doesn't matter if there's one guy who's a leader." Please keep in mind that this approach was honed by years of hard time. The band didn't really start making money until the Born in the USA album, ten years after the band started. Bruce himself came home after "The River" in 1982 with a whopping $15,000 in the bank. This after leading a sold out arena tour for over a year. So, this sentiment was not born of the heady days Mr. Springsteen enjoys now. But, as Mr. Van Zandt details, the basis of this is the bond- that is what leads you to you being able to communicate your community to your customers and co-workers.
Drummer Max Weinberg next revealed one of the catalysts behind the development of this corporate communication culture. Max reveals that he and Mr. Springsteen would converse one-on-one to discuss their craft, and there Mr. Springsteen would communicate his needs to Mr. Weinberg in the best way possible for his particular situation. By showing him in a language Max could understand. He explains in the Fricke interview that "it could be a little thing. In the middle of "The Wanderer" by Dion, there is a drum part by Panama Francis, a brilliant drum part, one of the classics. He plays it on the snare drum. Then in the sax solo, he goes to the cymbal. Bruce got such a kick out of it. Then when Dion goes back to the vocal, you hear the cymbals just shut down [makes a "zip" sound], and Francis goes back to the snare beat. It was those little details that Bruce would point out to me, what he thought was brilliance in drumming." This is what I mean by setting expectations clearly and succinctly. What the leader has to challenge him/herself to do is to find the language, how their employee accepts and disseminates information. This is at the heart of Springsteen's management philosophy.
Nils Lofrgren sums up Fricke's interview. When asked for his explanation of how this works, he came up with a simple equation-"You take the material and the intensity of the leader, then you mix it with everyone on board. You get everyone as focused as you, on the intent of the music, the rest is how you navigate it. Bruce is a master at that. It goes beyond doing it well. It becomes a calling. When you mix the love of performing and leading a band with a catalog of songs you can call on, if you keep everyone around you focused with the same commitment for three hours, it's a formidable thing."
So, let's translate that into corporate speak. First, you take the charisma and power of the leader, then surround him with good people. That leader gets everyone focused on the mission and vision of the company, then guides that intellectual momentum into a creative vein that produces viable and marketable goods. Then, you mix the enthusiasm behind creating new products and revisiting existing products, you are able to keep the company committed through grueling and exhausting (and ultimately rewarding) circumstances, creating a formidable force in the marketplace.
Though it sounds simple, it bears repeating that this process took a long time to come to fruition. I don't want to sound as if this is an easy thing. Even Bruce made some tough decisions before settling on the lineup that stuck. Also, it is convenient to think of Bruce as this megastar, but if he hadn't made the long term decision to jettison his first manager, Mike Appel, his career may never have gotten off the ground. Somehow, though, through his strategy of putting together incredible live shows would be enough to garner even an Allman Brothers like following. That he had this foundation built made it possible to take advantage of the opportunity to make it big when he had his shot. Without the long-term plan, the odds would be pretty large that this would not have worked out!
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