With a cast of pop stars committed to a humanitarian cause, the project demonstrated how managing egos, conflict resolution and a shared vision can lead to extraordinary results in any arena, whether on the global stage or in the business world.
n the fast-paced world of business, where competition is fierce and goals change rapidly, the ability to work effectively as a team is key to success. Every organization is like an orchestra, made up of individuals with diverse skills who must coordinate harmoniously to achieve extraordinary results. In this sense, the story behind the creation of “We Are the World”, the song written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson in the mid-1980s and whose documentary “The greatest night in pop” can be seen on a well-known streaming platform, offers a series of lessons on teamwork management in the corporate world.
Take this scenario: one night in January 1985, at the A&M recording studio in Los Angeles, a motley crew of the biggest stars in music at the time, including Tina Turner, Bod Dylan, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper and Stevie Wonder, came together for one enormous purpose: to record a song to raise funds and awareness for the terrible famine that was ravaging Ethiopia, Africa. Each artist, with their unique talents and style, faced the challenge of putting aside their ego and collaborating toward a common goal with little time and a lot of fatigue.
In the corporate world, this situation reflects the reality of managing cross-functional teams where personalities, egos and individual agendas can hinder the teamwork process. However, the masterful management of this project by figures such as Harry Belafonte, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones leaves several lessons about how to navigate the complexities of teamwork in any organization.
Belafonte, an iconic figure with a keen understanding of the power of art to bring about social change played a key role in inspiring the idea for the project and bringing together music celebrities. His vision and passion for the cause of alleviating famine in Africa served as a catalyst to mobilize artists toward a purpose greater than their individual interests. In the business world, visionary leaders like Belafonte are essential to inspire and align teams toward shared goals that transcend individual objectives.
Richie, along with Quincy Jones, exemplified exceptional team management skills during the taping. Richie, acting as a facilitator, was crucial in resolving conflicts and keeping the artists focused on the task amidst the inevitable distractions and tensions. His ability to maintain group cohesion and ensure that everyone remained aligned with the stated goal is a great example for business leaders facing similar challenges in their teams.
Quincy Jones, on the other hand, provided the overall vision needed to coordinate and lead this diverse group toward a common goal. His ability to remain calm under pressure and his focus on what really mattered inspired the artists to channel their creative energy into the humanitarian cause they were supporting. In the business world, managers like Jones are instrumental in guiding their teams through uncertainty and challenges while keeping their eyes on the bottom line.
The recording of “We Are the World” was not only a musical achievement, but also an inspiring example of what is possible when people put aside their differences and collaborate toward a common goal. The results are plain to see: the song raised some US$80 million (equivalent to about US$160 million today) for humanitarian causes, and the ripple effect that song had was incredible. Many, many artists realized that they could make a change in the world and joined in solidarity causes such as Live Aid (July 1985 at Wembley and Philadelphia) or Live 8 (July 2005 in Johannesburg, Moscow, Philadelphia, Barrie, Chiba, London, Cornwall, Edinburgh, Berlin and Paris).
In the business world, the ability to manage egos, resolve conflicts and maintain a clear vision of the goal are key elements for team success. Like this chorus of pop stars, organizations can achieve extraordinary results when each team member contributes his or her unique talents in harmony toward a shared purpose.
By Ricardo Kofman, associate director of Olivia in the Valencian Community.
