Wynton Marsalis on Performance

Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance.

The July/August issue of Success magazine has an article featuring Wynton Marsalis’ thoughts on leadership.  If you don’t know Mr. Marsalis, he is the Founder and Music Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.  He has won nine Grammy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Music and was appointed a UN Messenger of Peace in 2001, and my wife’s favorite musician.  Since today is her birthday, I’ve decided to do a post featuring Wynton Marsalis.

In a sidebar to the article, Mr. Marsalis presents 15 leadership lessons.  seven of these lessons apply to anyone interested in becoming an outstanding performer, so I am posting them here – as I listen to him on my iPod.

Lessons on Performance from Wynton Marsalis

• Think big, but don’t be impatient.  Deferring the rewards of long-term success is difficult but necessary if you are going to have the mental fortitude to achieve them.
• Be perfect in intention; you don’t have to be perfect in execution.  Mistakes will happen.
• You can only do the best you can do.  Keep your goals high, but don’t set up yourself for failure.  Be patient.
• Don’t apologize for a mistake.  Apologize if you don’t play.  Knowing that effort is what matters gives people the courage to always try their hardest.
• Stay inside yourself; when you do, you’ll take a risk, but you’ll make an intelligent decision.  Know your strengths and weaknesses.
• Approach your work very seriously, but with humor.  Discipline should never come at the expense of closing yourself off to new ideas.
• Be fundamentally truthful.  Without truth, your success will unravel.

This is some great common sense advice on becoming an outstanding performer from Wynton Marsalis, an outstanding performer in his field.  Take them to heart and use them; and you will become an outstanding performer in your chosen field.

If you would like to see Mr. Marsalis’ other eight pieces of advice that pertain to leadership, log on to my other blog www.commonsenseguy.com today.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com to subscribe to my monthly ezine and for more common sense.  Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.