The Power of Simplicity and the Pixar pitch.
I delivered a morning devotional at a local business meeting recently. I wanted to share something that would really help people understand how important it is for a leader to speak in simple terms.
I centered the talk on the Pixar pitch. Have you heard of it? Daniel Pink featured the anecdote in his book, To Sell is Human. It’s really a basic outline for why Pixar has so much success selling stories.
The formula centers on six simple sentences:
1. Once upon a time there was …
2. Every day …
3. One day …
4. Because of that …
5. Because of that …
6. Until finally …
My challenge to you today, is can you, as a leader, paint the vision for your business with such powerful simplicity?
Here’s our example:
1. Once upon a time there was … a company called, Mavidea.
2. Every day … they worked with the goal of having fun serving others.
3. One day … the company reached a turning point.
4. Because of that … Mavideans pulled together to broaden the company’s vision for its future.
5. Because of that … they explored new directions they never would have thought possible.
6. Until finally … they realized their goal in more innovative ways and with even greater energy than they ever could have imagined.
In his book, Good to Great, Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t, Jim Collins describes a Level 5 Leader as a person who, “builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.”
Can you, as a leader, use a model like the Pixar pitch to help build your own personal blend of “personal humility and professional will”?
P.S. – Check out Mavidea’s Facebook for a deeper look into our culture.
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