BIG BIRD’S 2012 LEADERSHIP
LESSON
FOR EVERYONE
Had enough post-debate Big Bird talk?
I’m guessing you
probably have. But for me it’s been a –
Bird-in-the-hand
moment. I
have a story. Therefore I won’t let debate fatigue stop me from regaling you
with a Big Bird-centric, non-political, TGIM-minded anecdote that I reported
a decade-plus ago in the pocket-sized publication Leadership – with a human touch.
It’s not (overtly)
political. You
don’t have to be a fan of Sesame Street
… supporter of Public Broadcasting … or even remotely liberal in your thinking
to connect to the TGIM-minded Takeaway here.
So I’m simply going to seize this
Big-Bird-in-the-headlines opportunity to share it again, almost verbatim.
Here
‘tis –
“You
never turn down the opportunity to work with a legend like Carroll Spinney,”
wrote actor Noah Wyle in Esquire
magazine.
“He
has thrilled audiences from more than 140 countries daily for the last quarter
of a century. His face has graced the cover of Time magazine. He and his coworkers have earned 71 Emmys.”
Perhaps
you, like millions of his fans, know Carroll Spinney better as his
8-foot-2-inch, yellow-feathered alter ego:
Sesame Street’s
Big Bird
And,
like Noah Wyle, perhaps you have a fondness for Big Bird because he made
mistakes … got frustrated … and was baffled by questions that plague kids and
adults alike:
·
What
makes a friend?
·
What’s
good and bad?
·
What’s
for lunch?
Here
is Wyle’s report on their first encounter:
“Excited doesn’t even begin to describe the
feeling …. Sitting three chairs to my right was a slender,
distinguished-looking gentleman wearing the bottom half of a feathery costume.
White beard, kind face, gigantic orange feet.
 |
| Outtake from the upcoming feature-length documentary film I Am Big Bird |
“I knew those feet.”
Their first conversation went like this:
“How do you do, Noah? I’m Carroll Spinney,” Big Bird said to Wyle.
“How do you do? It’s an honor to work with
you.”
“That’s nice of you to say,” was the Big Bird
reply. “Today will be fun. Would you like to rehearse?”
With
Wyle being gently guided by the ever-professional Spinney, the day’s rehearsal
and filming went smoothly and quickly. After the last scene was wrapped up,
Wyle reported:
“I walked over to Carroll and tried to
articulate what I had learned coming back to Sesame Street:
·
“That
he was the most dedicated performer I had ever had the pleasure of working
with.
·
“That
I hoped to bring the same enthusiasm to my work.
·
“And
whatever frustrations he may have had doing the same character for almost 30
years were appreciated.
·
“That
I liked him a lot.”
“Carroll?” I said.
“Noah, thank you for joining us. It was very
nice to meet you,” he said.
“Carroll, I just wanted to say –“
“Before you go, I have something for you,” he
interrupted.
He reached behind himself and plucked two
yellow tail feathers from the costume’s backside and handed them to me.
“Take these home to remember me by.”
TGIM Takeaway: Noah Wyle concludes,
“It was something I didn’t expect him to do. It was something he probably
wasn’t supposed to do. But I learned that it’s just the kind of thing you
should do when you’re an old friend.”
Do
I have to tell you how to get to Sesame
Street in your daily dealings?
Follow that bird. Thanks for reading,
friend.
(Now, what’s for lunch?)
 |
| Carroll Spinney in October 2010 |
Geoff
Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
8
Depot Square
