She is 27 and beautiful

She is widely recognised as one of the most important artists of her generation. She is praised for her command over the most complex technical demands of her repertoire, the depth of her musical insight, as well as her fresh interpretations and charismatic stage presence.

Her name is Yuja Wang. She is a pianist.

Knowing that being a pianist is a job, you can replace the word “artist” above with “entrepreneur”, “repertoire” with “products and services of a business”, “musical insight” with “vision” and “stage” with “business life”.

The other day I watched one of her videos. She was playing Shostakovich’s 1st Piano Concerto. Just before the start of the concert you could see her touching some of the keys without playing them. I assume she plays the whole concert in her head in those few moments. And when the conductor raises his baton she does what she has to do: giving her best to the audience.

It is like starting a new venture. You play the whole “performance” in your head as a visionary and then give it your best.

The point that I want to make is this: There are great soloists who direct the orchestra while performing, but these are few and far between.

The opposite can be said in business, but as a visionary you do not need to manage your team. There are other people who are educated and experienced in that.

Just because you own a business, it does not mean that you are the best guy to run it.

To view the video I mentioned: Shostakovich 1st Piano Concerto

Song of the week: Aerosmith – I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (1998)