It seems that, even with this in mind, the last thing that we would want to do as leaders would be to emulate Jackson. Despite his unarguable success, he became better known in recent years for his relative failures. Between baby-dropping, inappropriate slumber parties, and that awful video game he released for Sega, his accomplishments have been buried under a slew of screw-ups. No longer was Michael Jackson celebrated as the face of pop music; once knowledge of Neverland reached the public, the sight of his vinyl jacket all over the news replaced news of his vinyls. Like all famous artists, his posthumous memory became much fonder than the one the public had in his last few years–his album sales skyrocketed on iTunes.

The question is–is there any merit to walking the moonwalk? What can today’s leaders take away from MJ’s example? He must have done SOMETHING right to deserve the recognition. What was it? And what can we do to inspire others?

The first correct move he made (apart from the pelvic thrust) was his affinity for risk-taking. As we’ve figured out at Monar as well as in previous blog posts, people are generally change-averse, as change involves taking a risk. If leaders want to make a change within an organization, they have to be willing to take a leap toward thinking and acting in unconventional ways. Those in the box industry call it…well, they don’t really have a phrase for it, because it’s outside the realm of their thought. MJ was willing to take the risks necessary to launch his career and completely renovate the face of music in the process. Leaders must be okay with the knowledge that to achieve success, they will have to be innovative in their approaches. The “old way of doing things” is a phrase that will stagnate them.

Persistence is the second characteristic crucial to MJ’s success. Even in the face of public resistance, he continued to move forward with his ideas. Organizations that want to follow through with change need to expect push-back on the part of their employees, but not let it stop their forward momentum.  Leaders need to be aware of “The Way [Change Makes Employees] Feel” while still creating and propagating new initiatives. We refer back to the idea of stickiness. It’s not enough to take a risk if you don’t follow through. Michael Jackson was committed to the risks he took, no matter how outlandish they may have been–that one glove thing, for example. An unapologetic approach to change is what is inspiring and impactful, and if leaders want to “make that change,” they’re going to have to start with the “Man in the Mirror.”

There will always be debate about whether the moral implications of Jackson’s actions make his musical contributions obsolete. But one thing is not debatable–he was a successful musician, and he transformed the musical landscape of his time. (I’m almost out of euphemisms for that phrase, so it may be about time to draw this to a close.) Through his risk taking and his persistence, MJ made an impact. Leaders would do well to follow (most) of his example.

As for mine and my roommate’s “thrilling” performance…call me over-confident, but I think it can thrill you more than any ghost would dare try.

To our readers–what do you think are keys to successful change?