I was reading an article in Fast Company the magazine about Martin Scorsese that was about his creative side and how he used it to inspire the world. As I read it dawned on me that he had extraordinary leadership skills. These skills could translate in to leaders in any arena. The first skill that was immediately evident was the question he asked before they got started taping.

Project your best image
The question he asked the interviewer was, “Do I look like Quasimodo? Am I sitting too far down in the chair?” Not only did he consider his dress, which was his classic black blazer and slacks with his immaculately pressed crisp dress shirt on which he never buttons the top button to add a hint of flamboyance to his all business demeanor but he considered how he sat. I noticed this in his photo shoot and I noticed it his acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards. From now on decide the image you desire to project and work hard to enhance it.

Never let money dictate your passion
The article mentions films that Scorsese did that were well-funded and did not perform well at the box office and others that were sparsely funded and that he had a wonderful time making. Money greases the wheels but creativity and passion are the wheels and the engine so do not let the money or those who possess it control your passion. Part of the article deals with Scorsese’s unwillingness to deal with the Hollywood executives versus his need to support his family a balancing act all people who call themselves creative must rationalize in their own mind. In the end the right balance leads to freedom.

Leaders drive the bus
The article opened my eyes to just how many different parts and team members were involved in creating a film but it also highlighted the importance of the director’s vision being the driving force. He commented on how his team directed him to the perfect location in one film, though still driving he made the suggested turn. And then there is the length of his films which on average is 2 hours on which he generally stays the course even when the team is screaming – turn now. He said “But sometimes something needs time to work on a viewer.” Leaders must realize this same fact with their vision and stay patient and be the standard bearer for their organization.

Be relentless for your creative vision
A major part of why Martin Scorsese is considered great in his profession is that he understands the spiritual side of the battle.

He said “there is an essence to the project that you must protect. You cannot make concessions on that, the story cannot be tampered with past that point; you have to fight off every power or force around you.”

He understands that is not the people that he is fighting, but a spirit of apathy, commercialism and lack of imagination. These are areas that every leader has to war against. They show their ugly heads in a myriad of places and people. When you know your core values and vision do not allow them to be tampered with by anyone. Go be relentlessly creative.

Here’s the link. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/161/martin-scorsese