I’m training for a ToughMudder race on September 9th, so have been running a lot.
To help out, I’ve been experimenting with various music playlists, to keep me motivated.
This morning, right as the run was ending, the music from Chariots of Fire came on.
While it’s not the greatest motivator while you are actually running, it is a great score.
With the Olympics coming up, I was reminded of the story and it occurred to me that, if Eric Liddell hadn’t had the religious convictions preventing him from running on Sunday, there would have been no story.
In fact, without looking it up, I bet that no one reading this knows who won the Gold Medal in the 100 meters or 200 meters in the 1924 Paris Games.
The point here is that the great stories, the kind that Ken Burns talks about in this wonderful 7 minute documentary, are made by those who stand FOR something.
This is true in our personal lives, but also in our business lives.
Steve Jobs is famously quoted for having said that his objective was to “put a dent in the universe.”
Great brands, nay, the GREATEST brands are built because they create stories around their principled positions.
It’s easy to be skeptical because while most brands and most athletes start off standing for something, too often, those positions are compromised and it becomes about the money and the fame.
“So many times, it happens so fast, you trade your passion for glory.”-Eye of the Tiger, Survivor (which IS a good running song).
Money are fame are fine, but not enduring.
Nothing wrong with them, but it all comes down to what impact you want to make (or none at all).
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