Читать книгу Jolt - Tyler Richard - Страница 8

I have had many Jolts in my lifetime. Some I noticed, some I probably didn’t. Some I reacted well to, some I rolled on the floor, kicked my feet in the air and screamed like a baby (age 33 was the last one of those and it wasn’t pretty!). The Jolts that stand out, many of which I wrestled with, have become my guiding principles and are now a part of how I navigate my day. Experience has shown me that they are the basis for building anything extraordinary.

Jolt is not a thing that you do. Jolt is not your outcome. Jolt is a way of being.

In 1995 I joined the West End cast of The Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom company and the many gorgeous people within it became my home, on and off, for many years. My time there was a rich tapestry of learning about the craft of consistently creating something extraordinary. On numerous occasions I was left baffled over why we would yet again spend hours practising tiny pieces of music and staging. Surely something so small couldn’t make a difference to the show? How would an audience ever notice? It was already a worldwide phenomenon, grossing millions globally through ticket sales and merchandise. Why fiddle with it?

Wind the clock forward 18 years and my wisdom and learning is in a more rounded place to make sense of it all. Delivering something extraordinary, eight times a week, is a feat even for the most experienced and seasoned performers and musicians. The courage and hunger to continually reinvent takes energy and tenacity. If we let go of that, we switch onto auto‐pilot, turn off the radar and deliver a lacklustre performance. In the world of the arts, there is no place for that.

So why is it then that in the world of business we often accept that as being ok?

A while into my run at Phantom, the resident director took me to one side and offered me a dollop of wisdom. I am grateful that he did as I believe it dramatically changed the course of my existence and placed the importance of Jolt right at the heart of what I do. He brought it to my attention that I had entered a ‘safe zone’ – a place that delivered an ordinary performance and not an extraordinary one. I had become comfortable and was delivering just enough each night.

The feedback and challenge he offered me was very clear.

‘Richard, what you do on stage each night is ok. It’s fine. It won’t change the world though. However, I’m not sure that deep down you are happy with ok and fine, are you?’

‘Not entirely, no. BUT what if I step it up a gear and then screw it up? What if I test out new ways and they fail? What if it doesn’t work? What if I crack a note? That all feels like a big risk to take!’

He smiled at me yet delivered a message that walloped me between the eyes!

‘The greatest risk Richard is not that you step it up a gear and do something differently. The risk is not that you give it a go and fail either. The greatest risk is that you stay doing the same thing, day in and day out, eight times a week. If you do, you won’t have a job and we won’t have a show. I’m telling you now so that you can make your best choice.’

The Jolt that came from my director shook me up. It was a very clear choice point for me. Doing nothing would cost me big time. Looking back on that moment, I smile to myself as I realize how naive I had been to believe that there was no risk to me in staying doing the same thing, over and over again.

Jolts will come in all shapes and sizes. They may well wallop your arse when you least expect it. They may knock you to your knees. Hear this though, what makes the difference between an enabling Jolt and a disabling Jolt is how YOU choose to respond to it. Jolts will be sudden, uncomfortable, provocative and create a heightened state of awareness of your thinking, your action and the situation you are in.

Will you embrace the Jolts around you or will you fight them off?