What you can learn from Lorne Micheals to achieve lasting success in businesses.

During a recent talk at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I had the privilege to watch a speaking session with Lorne Michaels as he approaches the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. Michaels has spent years of his life developing and improving the magic sauce of a cultural phenomenon that has consistently found success. His talk was filled with incredible lessons that entrepreneurs can apply to thrive in their chosen industries. Let's take a look at embracing tight deadlines, open collaboration, and impactful presentations, and how they can fuel success.

It's truly inspiring that at 78 years old, Michaels still works full-time. He seems to have never lost his edge, and he remains heavily involved in the creative process. Many founders and creators feel they have to sell or retire to prove they've made it, but the reality is that if you love what you do, staying in the game can fuel your happiness for years to come. The key is to find that balance of determination and enjoyment. What can we learn from Michaels, and the uniqueness of SNL's structure, that can help us in our own career paths? 

1. Embrace tight deadlines

It's well known that SNL sticks to an incredibly tight schedule. A new show every seven days, complete with a constantly rotating lineup of musical guests and hosts. There are about 40 skits written, with only a dozen or so making it on air. Table reads, rehearsals, and costumes all happen at a speed incomprehensible to most of us in the business world. Can the terrifying idea of rushing through an imperfect idea actually be a secret to success? 

Pushing forward despite imperfections can lead to faster progress. Let's face it, is perfection attainable? Striving for it can stall ideas, products, and events, and eventually halt them from going anywhere. By sticking to a tight deadline, you are moving in the right direction by simply moving forward, learning and tweaking as you go. 

2. Foster open collaboration

Teamwork and collaboration are critical factors in reaching sustained success. While most of our businesses differ from live TV or the theatre industry, we too rely on a dedicated team. Our admin partners serve as the face of our company, representing our values and supporting our culture through every interaction. Similarly, our service partners become extensions of our brand, and our vendors play a crucial role in supporting our backstage success. Whether it's a major business win or an amazing company kickoff, we have to share information, solicit feedback, understand, acknowledge, and collaborate with everyone involved for a successful outcome.

SNL holds pitch meetings where everyone has the opportunity to present their ideas. Decision making isn't stalled as the best ideas are chosen quickly. If an idea is chosen, the creator of that idea follows it through and owns it -- for better or for worse. This provides everyone the opportunity to fail, grow, and appreciate the process. 

By engaging not only our internal teams in open collaborations and pitches, but also service providers, vendors, and other stakeholders, you open up the possibilities for new ideas, opportunities, and a wide variety of opinions and points of view. Everyone's ideas are considered, and everyone has a stake in the idea, product, or overall success of the company. This also results in less falling on your shoulders alone. You have opened up your business to include and recognize others' strengths, allowing them to flourish while you fan the flame instead of solely sustaining it. 

3. The power of impactful presentations

While we can't all be talented and charismatic comedians, we can all benefit from SNL's planning, rehearsing, and performing strategies for use in our careers. Elevating presentations and communication skills should be a priority for us all. 

Table reading individually or as a team is a power move that gets everyone on the same page.

It's one thing to accurately capture the right information and write it down, but we all know reading out loud and loving it is a different story. Table reads and rehearsals can ensure ideas are well-crafted, resonate effectively, and leave a lasting impact. No one wants to listen to someone read new content for the first time or painfully read a slide word by word. Blocking and rehearsing can fine-tune how you emphasize words, the body language you use, and how best to speak purposefully and genuinely to capture attention. 

Just as Lorne Micheals' dedication and passion have fuelled SNL's lasting success, we can apply these strategies to do the same in our businesses and careers. 

Inc