Russell Brand certainly has had his challenges over the years. He was: kicked out of theatre school for drug abuse; arrested for various offences like drug possession, excessive alcohol consumption, property damage and battery at least twelve times; ejected from award ceremonies for behavior unbecoming; fired by MTV and, apparently, forced to resign from the BBC. If that isn’t enough, there are also reports that he has allegedly suffered, at one time or another, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, bulimia and pornography addiction. On a brighter note, to provide credit where credit is due, Brand appears to have “cleaned up his act” and claims he has been sober and drug-free for 20 years. He has sponsored fund-raisers for causes related to addiction and acted as a “sponsor” for those going through rehabilitation programs.
For all of his troubles, Brand’s quote is quite accurate and insightful. He is proof-positive that perceptive comments and ideas can come from just about anyone. And soliciting and gathering these ideas from everyone in your company or organization will pay dividends. Too often, we have the tendency to restrict input ie. only the marketing group is responsible for marketing ideas – only customer service has input into improving customer service, and so on.
In reality, some terrific ideas can come from just about anyone in your business or even outside of it. So perhaps it would be worth while considering how to capture these ideas. For sure, a good many will not have utility. However, one idea can often be revolutionary and have far-reaching positive outcomes. The key is to be genuinely open to new thoughts and encourage those ideas to come from all corners of the organization. As an example, consider Cirque du Soleil. Since 1984, it has entertained over 180 million people in 450 cities and 60+ countries. And it was the brainchild of two, down-and-out, homeless performers living on the streets of Montreal. Remarkable thoughts and ideas can come from virtually anywhere and from anyone………..even a reformed drug addict!
Born exactly 47 years ago this month, it appears that Brand may well have taken some of his own advice – it seems he has not been arrested for any violent or quarrelsome behavior for a little over a decade. Hope the trend continues!
Perform better!
