Unexpected Lessons from Shakespeare
August 21st, 2008
This is not one of those “Lessons From Shakespeare” articles where they tell you how to run your company using lessons learned from King Lear or Ophelia. Not a chance. But these books exist.
The following quote is really from the description of one of these books: “Think of Hamlet, the poignant case of too-sensitive young executive who fails to move up the corporate ladder because of his inability to make decisions. Or Julius Caesar, which at its heart is nothing of not an attempt at a hostile takeover by disgruntled stockholders. Or consider King Lear, a warning to all executives of family businesses the perils of divestiture and early retirement.”
Really? That’s quite the stretch you’re making there. Hopefully, when your company starts to take a bit of a downturn, you don’t kill your uncle or banish your daughter in hopes of better fortune.
Ahh, but here’s the REAL lesson you can learn from Shakespeare. Not everyone gets it. Reading and comprehending Shakespeare is not all that easy. Heck, I used to teach an adult Shakespeare class and when I asked my class of 40+ students, what “To be or not to be” meant, not one of them knew that Hamlet was contemplating suicide.
BUT, if you perform that speech, they’ll get it. See, even though we don’t speak the way Shakespeare wrote, when his plays are performed by actors that get it, the audience gets it. Good actors who have done their homework can convey the meaning and the story of Hamlet, King Lear or Katerina the shrew to people who had never heard the word “thou” before.
So, according to the formula I’ve set up for my blog posts, this is where I relate that random knowledge to our loyal readers. See, we don’t need to go inventing new words or processes that make us sound smart in order to reach the masses. Use the ones we have. If you know what you’re talking about, and you’re passionate about it, the audience will get it. Trust me. I’ve seen 7th graders cheer for MacDuff, and 4th graders explain what makes Don John so evil. Words are just the tools we use to create something amazing. But when all is said and done, the talk shouldn’t be about buzzwords and cliches….it should be about the story and the performance.
Other posts by Steve.
Ramsey says:
Steve - I ain’t to up on all my Shakespeare - but buddy I get that - I love your post - keep it up. Very Cool
August 21st, 2008 at 6:41 amRamsey says:
Hell I can’t even spell “Shakespeare” or “too” for that matter!
August 21st, 2008 at 6:42 amJen says:
Rock On Mr. Steve! It’s so true! I think it also makes the point that you can’t expect people to love your company in a vacuum - like reading Shakespeare without seeing it or hearing it can be an empty exercise for many. It’s the human angle - the real heart and emotion and interaction that makes those 7th graders cheer. You don’t just put something out there and expect people to love you. It’s not just the thing, but the behavior that inspires real emotion.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:52 am