3 Things I Learned From Joe Biden’s big win.
It doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum you are on . . . Joe Biden’s win was a big one. (Unless, you’re so far on one side that you don’t acknowledge the win . . . but something tells me that doesn’t apply to the people who read this blog. Thank goodness.)
Whenever something BIG happens, I make it a habit to try and determine why it happened. Then, both you and I can apply it to our swings of the bat . . . in the hopes that we can both come up with a home run of our own.
Big “wins” in any industry are always the result of 1,000 different things. And while I’m no political expert by any means (nor do I ever want to be), here are THREE KEYS I believe that helped put Biden over the top. And can help you too.
KEY #1: Authenticity is the new transparency.
If George W. Bush was the kind of guy you could have a beer with, Joe Biden is the kind of guy you can have a chat with. And you can expect him to be open, honest, humble and sincere. He has experienced tragedy in his life. And he’ll talk about it. He has experienced disappointment in his career. And he’ll talk about it. This is a guy who once said, “I’ve done some dumb things, and I’ll do dumb things again.”
By being transparent AND authentic, Joe was able to give us something we haven’t had in awhile . . . a politician that the people can relate to, empathize with, and BELIEVE.
ACTION ITEM: How can you allow people to see your personal truth in your work and in your life? (Here’s a tiny example of this concept from my own life – look at how many likes this picture got! And then, read the story of how Rachel Hollis became the mega motivational star she is today.)
KEY #2: It’s all in the . . .
Joe Biden ran for president twice before. And lost twice before. We’ll get more into this in KEY #3, but KEY #2 reminds us that sometimes the world isn’t ready for what we have to offer. And there is not much you can do about it. Except keep going, and wait for when the time is right.
And Joe knew. He used it as a reason to stay the course. Read this quote from the New York Times about his 1988 race:
He liked to say that presidential history ran in cycles: bursts of progress and upheaval, followed by periods of correction in which voters choose a candidate who can “let America catch its breath.” (New York Times)
Your unique talent, your unique voice, your specific art may not achieve the type of breakthrough success exactly when you want it. Or think you deserve it. (My mom taught me early never to think I deserve anything.)
Whether you’re a politician or a playwright, your success depends on an audience. And their reaction is unpredictable. And it also depends on what else is going on in the world (Remember when Chicago opened in 1975 and didn’t make a dent in theatrical history? And then the revival opened in 1996 . . . and is still going . . . all over the world? Pandemic notwithstanding, of course.)
But when you stick around, and keep creatin’, the stars and stages will align.
ACTION ITEM: Have you stopped doing something in your life because you didn’t achieve the type of success that you wanted, when you wanted it? Pick it back up. Don’t focus on the success. Focus on the doing. And the success will come when the universe (and the audience) is ready for you.
KEY #3: Get up off the canvas and keep punching.
Joe Biden didn’t just run for President twice before. And lose twice before. He got shellacked! (The first time he lost, it ended in scandal!)
TheaterMakers think a bad review in the New York Times is hard to get over . . . imagine millions and millions of people saying, “We don’t like you.” TWICE!
Can you imagine? If you had experienced “failure” at that high of a level in your pursuits . . . would you want to get back up and run again?
I’m sure those losses hurt. But Joe didn’t let them bother him for long. Joe knew he needed better timing (KEY #1).
And he also said to himself, “What can I do to be better?” He trained. He learned. He didn’t let his ego get in the way, and served under others.
And he used the experience of his two previous losses to help him win this time out.
For many, disappointment or a failure becomes an excuse to quit. The successful use it as a textbook to create their future.
ACTION ITEM: What is something in your life or career that didn’t work out the way you wanted? Have you held your own personal post-mortem? Asked others to help you objectively analyze why something didn’t work? What can you do next time to make it better?
BONUS KEY #4!!!!
There’s a 4th Key to Joe Biden’s success this time around that we must acknowledge . . .
KEY #4. He found a strong, smart woman to stand by his side.
Which, if you’re counting, makes TWO.
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If you’re looking to learn from those who have taken several swings of the bat before they hit one out of the park? You must come to the TheaterMakers Summit! You’ll hear so many authentic A-listers talking about how they “made it,” and how you can too. Click here. It’s in just FOUR DAYS! And more A-list speakers were just added to our lineup! See you there.
Podcasting
Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.
