The Social Media Opportunity

by Walt Carvalho

I had the great opportunity once in my life to be able to walk beside some of the incredible sculptures and paintings created by the great renaissance artists Michelangelo and Rafael. That was an evening I’ll never forget.

A few years later I also had the opportunity to meet and listen to two great coaches, Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers and Bo Schembechler, former Head Football Coach for the University of Michigan. Both men shared insight and ways of thinking which gave me an appreciation of their depth and vision. There are some important lessons I’ve learned from all of them.

Many would say that trying to make a comparison between renaissance artists and modern football coaches is impossible. I totally disagree. They share a common bond that separates them from their peers. Each one of them reached a level of greatness not because of conforming to a template but instead their genius came from their originality.

Although Michelangelo used hammers and chisels for sculpting while like Rafael they used brushed and oils for their paintings, their brilliance truly came to light from their imagination, creativity and vision. Their tools simply assisted their ability to create.

So many men have walked fields with clipboards and whistles, Bill Walsh however designed teams to be where others weren’t. He broke the mold that all of the other teams were in. He demanded precision and perfection. His play calling thrived on uniqueness. He mastered the creation of open space in the game.

Bo Schembechler on the other hand was a man known for a gruff exterior with more Rose Bowl appearances than any other coach of his time. His strength however was his ability to be himself as a man who cared deeply about his players and their development as young men. His unique leadership created other leaders by osmosis. His teams success were the results of the unique bond and leadership he provided.

Social media success today is not a template activity either. It actually provides tools for people and business to flourish and prosper. It’s fertile ground for imagination and creativity to accomplish remarkable things. Just like the examples of those mentioned above, just having the tools is not enough. It’s combining and utilizing those tools with a creative strategy and a view of a larger picture.

Those who are willing to let go of old ideas and restrictions and make use instead, of the new opportunities surrounding them can accomplish great things today. These accomplishments are the result of not only our tools today but also our imagination, creativity and vision.

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo: lauren special thanks to flickr.com / creative commons