Posted yesterday at 5:00 p.m.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that when you are a business leader, a manager, a professional and you don’t make creativity a top priority – in the dictionary sense of “making or designing something new” – then you are wasting your time. No business has a purpose if it doesn’t dedicate itself to discovering new ways to improve the lives of its customers. In short, without creativity, there is no business.
For many of us, COVID-19 has been the defining challenge of our time. But at any time, an unexpected event can shake your business, your career: a technological breakthrough, the launch of a competing product, a natural disaster, an economic crisis. As you will see in these pages, whatever the source of your troubles, creativity is the key to weathering the storm and getting back on the right foot.
Today, I am proud to be able to say that Cirque du Soleil is back. Our permanent shows in China and Mexico were the first to restart, followed by our iconic productions in Las Vegas, Mystery and O, then Michael Jackson ONE, The Beatles LOVE and KA. Tickets were snapped up and impatient audiences rushed to our theaters, excited to be able to see live performances again. As we continue to relaunch performances in other parts of the world, the feats performed on the stages where we perform are a reminder to the world that anything is possible.
I feel privileged to have led Cirque du Soleil for the past twenty years and I am very proud of the resilience of our artists. I hope you find this book helpful lessons and inspiration for unleashing streams of creativity in your personal and professional life.
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With potential disasters constantly hovering like heavy clouds, it is tempting to think that the best strategy is to go through life with the utmost caution, taking all possible measures to limit the risks.
As counter-intuitive as it may seem, I’ve discovered that quite the opposite is true.
Risk is so inherent in the creative process that trying to eliminate it can kill the spirit of freedom that lies at the heart of all true innovation.
In truth, I would even go so far as to say that avoiding danger at all costs is the greatest risk there is, because it is the best way to get bogged down, stagnate and ultimately decline.
It means exposing yourself to serious setbacks in a world where the competition is constantly innovating and looking for signs of weakness to hit where it hurts.
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Looking back on my twenty years at Cirque du Soleil, I am amazed at how much my perspective on life and on my job has changed. When I received this excited phone call from Guy at the end of 2000 inviting me to join his troupe, I was living in another world, a world of prudence, conformity and immobility. Today, I feel free to be able to help Stéphane and our board of directors to implement whatever strategies they may be that will allow us to harness the exceptional creative power of our artists, our employees, our subsidiaries and our associates.
The balancing act
Daniel Lamarre
Editions Michel Lafon, January 2022
288 pages
Who is Daniel Lamarre?
Born in Montreal, Daniel Lamarre notably worked for the public relations firms Burson-Marsteller (from 1981) and National (1984-1997), where he held various management positions, including that of president. He was then President and CEO of the TVA television network, from 1997 to 2000. He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2001 as President of New Ventures, the organization had 2,000 employees and 7 shows in representation. Five years later, he became CEO. At Cirque du Soleil, Mr. Lamarre’s responsibilities included the development of strategies related to business development, operations, sales, the financial viability of the company and the perpetuation of its culture and values.