The Soul of a Superstar

On my return flight from the Radio and Records/National Association of Broadcasters convention in Dallas, I was reading the cover story in the Friday, September 22nd edition of USA Today titled Soul of a Champion. Over the next ten weeks, USA Today will examine the intangibles that separate champions from other elite athletes with essentially the same physical skills. The series will go inside the lives of competitors who exemplify four intangible traits sports psychologists say champions possess: competitiveness, self-confidence, focus, and composure under pressure.

This led me to think about the parallels between athletes and entertainers. One of the most challenging aspects of my consultancy is determining what "IT" is that separates superstars from "close but no cigar stars." If there was a simple answer, I would market it on one of those late night infomercials and be counting my coins on a beach in Maui.

Some of the common denominators suggested in the article were:

What's inside of you. How much are you willing to do? How much are you willing to sacrifice? (Are you willing to be on the road, away from family and friends for extended periods of time?)

Mental toughness. Can you keep your head on straight and stay sober?
(Can you avoid the excesses of drugs and alcohol?)

Courage to go for it and not think about failure.
(Are you a smart risk taker?)

Testing your skills against others.
(Do you thrive on Battles of the Bands and other competitions that challenge your musical and songwriting skills?)

Belief in your ability and total confidence.
(Can you envision yourself making an acceptance speech at the Grammys?)

Keeping your cool under pressure.
(Will you be able to refrain from swearing at the sound man when the system isn't performing to your standards? Will you stop short of asking the audience when they last had their hearing checked when their response is tepid?)

The ability to deal with mistakes.
(Will you live up to that age-old adage "the show must go on" even when you're off key, miss a note, or break a guitar string?)

Focus.
(Can you key in your audience, putting on a "big show" in a small venue and creating an intimate environment in an arena, making every fan feel like you are performing just for him/her?)

To achieve platinum status, it takes great talent and hard work. You must continuosly raise the bar; find ways to get better. Always work at improving your technical skills while maintaining a superior physical, psychological, and professional profile.

If you truly believe you possess The Soul of a Superstar, then you will not be denied.