For the past 15 years, I’ve toured the globe as a global music executive with some of the most prominent bands and musicians, to launch some of the biggest shows in the business. Our team has pulled off multi-night sets in front of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, pulled in record-breaking crowds to the ancient cities of Byblos and Amman, toured across Latin America, Europe and China, and staged concerts in Puerto Rican castles, Indian palaces and ancient Middle Eastern citadels.
Many of these concerts have involved incredibly complicated production needs like fireworks, a live video broadcast from the International Space Station and unimaginably large security details.
Along the way, I’ve had to navigate relationships with foreign governments, manage multiple international clients and market to new customers, and I’ve witnessed how making true, meaningful connections around the globe can exponentially grow a business while adding meaning to one’s personal life.
Here are the top six tips I’ve learned from my adventurous touring that may guide you in the boardroom, when entering new markets or in any global business encounter.
1. Nurture your relationships.
My partners and sponsors typically live thousands of miles away from where I am at any given moment and often don’t speak the same language or share the same culture as me. These physical and cultural barriers make my work challenging and rewarding. It also means that it is truly essential to build relationships rooted in personal and emotional connection that can transcend time and space.
Life is about relationships. I don’t just say "let’s stay in touch." I commit to nurturing these relationships and have a system that helps me maintain them. I keep a list of my contacts and make a point to reach out to a few of my valued relationships on a weekly basis.
2. Ditch the phone and seek face-to-face meetings.
I strive, whenever possible, to meet with partners and contacts in person and as early as possible. These early meetings are not only an opportunity to talk business but also to get to know your partners on a personal level.
Face-to-face meetings open the door to real communication. When you are with that person, put your phone down and be fully present. Just as often, these meetings provide an opportunity to hear what your interlocutors aren’t saying, which can be more valuable than the words they express.
3. Understand that creativity is your secret power.
Working internationally with high-profile clients and events, people often think that everything should run strictly by the books, down to the very last clause in the contract. However, this generally is not how things unfold. In fact, things will go wrong.
When we are operating on someone else’s territory, where foreign markets have greater control than we do, it’s up to us to come up with creative ways to make things work. Your ability to be creative in coming up with solutions and maintain a level head are your ways to success.
And remember, stress and anxiety are your worst enemies. If you’re so worried about getting things done perfectly and by the book, nothing will get done. Let the uncertainty be a catalyst for inspiring you to better, more creative thinking.
4. Seek inspiration in new people and places.
When jetting around the world, it’s easy to become stuck in the grind of endless flights, countless nights spent in foreign hotel rooms and the ever-present stress of work. It’s important to make the conscious effort to remain open to the worlds you are encountering. Be curious. Be interested in the people, places and cultures you visit.
Not only will you gain insights into the world around you, but you will also discover a lot about yourself. We learn about ourselves through the relationships we build, and traveling the world helps shine a light on how you conduct yourself or do business. You may find ways of improving or completely change a point of view.
5. Know that tolerance and acceptance are a necessity.
As our global markets expand, as our planet becomes smaller and smaller and we are sharing space with other cultures, it’s important to embrace tolerance -- of the new people and places you encounter, the partners and clients you work with, and, of course, the teams you build.
I believe that not only learning how to accept our differences but celebrating them and building upon each other’s strengths can lead to some of the strongest teams in the world. It’s the blending of each person’s unique background that strengthens the whole.
Communities around the world are embracing the importance of tolerance. Several weeks back, I was working in the UAE as they were celebrating “The Year of Tolerance.” This was eye-opening for me, as exemplifying tolerance and acceptance can be applied on many levels. It brings harmony not only to business relationships but to the entire tapestry of our societies, reminding us of what is possible when we have open hearts and minds.
6. Realize that honesty and openness go a long way.
We are all human. Although we are different, we are all the same -- sharing values, interests and goals that rise above cultural or spacial bounds. In high-intensity environments, it’s easy to forget that when working on a project or pushing something through, you are all on a team and have the same goal. Value the success of a partner or sponsor just as you would value your own success; if they do well, you inherently do well also.
Confident, powerful and successful people are not trying to impress others. They are secure in themselves and exude honesty and vulnerability at the highest levels. They simply want to get the job done and get it done well. They are clear, honest and open about what problems they are facing or hurdles they are trying to overcome. Great leaders are successful not because they have all the answers, but because they know how to cultivate and extract the best out of people and align everyone’s efforts to the greater cause.
