When Cowell was once asked what the secret to success was, he replied, “Work hard, be patient, and be a sponge while learning your business. Learn how to take criticism. Follow your gut instinct and don’t compromise.” It is by following this recipe that Cowell has shot to fame and earned a reputation as not only a great record producer, music executive, and television personality, but also as an astute and successful entrepreneur.
He Never Backed Down: “I can't bear political correctness,” says Cowell. “I don't like a rule driven life and I hate the fact that you can't criticize a fat person.” Whatever Cowell wants to say, he says; whatever he wants to do, he does; and neither Paula Abdul nor the President of BMG can do anything about it. Cowell’s refusal to compromise or bend in the face of pressure is what has made him not only a character who people love to hate and can’t get enough of, but more importantly a successful force to be reckoned with.
He Never Stopped: Ambition is Cowell’s middle name. Despite expulsion from high school, two failed companies, and a failed reality show, Cowell’s ambition kept him working towards achieving his goals. After making his mark in the U.K., Cowell wanted to take America, and then he wanted the world. No success was ever good enough and it was to this end that he kept producing more.
He Accepted Failure: “Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people,” Cowell said in reference to the “American Idol” search for a new star. Similarly, Cowell never expected perfection from himself. He knew he would make mistakes and experience rejection along the way, but he accepted that, learned from his mistakes and moved on.
He Was Honest: “The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner,” says Cowell of “American Idol.” “The process makes you mean because you get frustrated. Kids turn up unrehearsed, wearing the wrong clothes, singing out of tune and you can either say, ‘Good job,’ and patronize them or tell them the truth, and sometimes the truth is perceived as mean.” It was in being honest with both himself and others that Cowell was able to walk the path to success.
He Trusted His Instincts: From the Teletubbies to professional wrestlers to pop opera, Cowell dared to listen to his gut and produce albums that few others saw potential in. He was willing to follow his hunches even if it meant taking the road far less traveled. He wasn’t right 100% of the time, but he knew he would go wrong far fewer times if he trusted himself than not.
One quick glance around at the giant billboards advertising “American Idol” and “American Inventor” and the evidence of Cowell’s success is obvious. He recently signed on with Idol for another five years, and with his $100 million/yr salary, Cowell isn’t going anywhere.
Serial Entrepreneur: How Cowell Produced Success
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