I’ve heard a lot of people use the term “reinvent” to describe their approach to the next phase of their career. I have never believed in this concept. We are not inventions. We were born with everything we need to succeed. But, I don’t want to go all David R. Hawkins on you.
When it comes to my career and the advice I’ve given, I always look to examples from the entertainment industry. What I’ve found is “restoration” works much better than “reinvention.” I use the following three cases to illustrate. (You might want to have Google handy).
Michael Eisner was one of the most powerful men in Hollywood when he ran Disney. He was a smart and ruthless executive who did not tolerate disloyalty, yet looked for it at every turn. But he also knew how to run a studio and was extremely successful. Post Disney, he tried to reinvent himself as a nice guy talk show host. His show was horrific, guests were few and far between, and ultimately no one watched. (I am sure he is writing a book.)
His friend, Michael Ovitz was another who vied for that same title. Ovitz founded a talent agency called CAA, but always longed to be much more than an agent. He became known for two things in the industry: making huge deals and for the line “I’m confused.” Which, when uttered barely above a whisper, frequently meant your career was about to end. Be that as it may, Ovitz reinvention as the #2(ish) man at Disney never worked out. It was a failure from start to finish. He was not cut out to be a corporate man, and he hated authority. (I am sure he is also writing a book… and I can’t wait to read it.)
My last example is Merv Griffin. Merv started out as a paunchy radio crooner while still in his teens. He then became a talk show host; then invented TV syndication; then invented Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and then died a billionaire (without a book, I might add). His success repeated over and over.
So here’s what. Merv Griffin never tried to reinvent himself. He engaged in restoration. He looked to those things he loved that were (career-wise) sitting on a shelf collecting dust. And he figured out how to use them to move his career forward. He became a talk show host because he loved people. He invented syndication because he wanted to control who he had on his show. Finally, he invented Wheel of Fortune because he loved crossword puzzles and figured other people did too.
At some point, you WILL feel like your career is stagnating. Before you yield to the latest #trending media topic, I want you to try and restore interest in those things sitting on your shelf. It might stop you from reinventing yourself out of a career.
And…fade to black.
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