Roll Credits

September 5, 2020

Years ago I listened to a recording of John Maxwell telling a Hollywood story to Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine on a CD insert in each monthly issue.  Maxwell, a former pastor, “preaches” leadership and my favorite quote of his is “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.

Here’s the story: John had been asked to consult on a movie.  When completed, naturally, John and his wife were invited to attend the premiere attended by everyone who played a part or supporting role. 

When The End came up on the screen at the conclusion of the film, John stood up to leave. Immediately, he felt a tug on his coat sleeve and his wife whispered  “John, sit down nobody is leaving! They’re all waiting for the credits to roll”!

Just let that soak in for a minute. Think about those in the audience that night who were in a supporting role, like carpenters or grips.  [ Wikipedia reports that the label grip may have come from the days of hand-cranked cameras where grips steadied tripods. ]  The Maxwell story keys a human emotion that provides clues about why we should “roll the credits” at work. Here are my “Do’s and Don’ts”:

  • Do: consider ways to applaud your supporting cast (your “grips”)
  • Do: make your own “Oscar®” design(s) … Custom artistry will be prized (can’t be purchased and no one else will have one)
  • Do: plan your own “Academy Awards” events with your CEO is host ( celebrities not needed )
  • Don’t: award only the “best” ( what does that make everyone else? )
  • Don’t: honor only P&L related activities; consider praising human qualities ( innovation, loyalty, etc. )

To me, the art of inspiration involves how you creatively and memorably let people “sign” their work.  Get a grip … roll the credits!