Quincy Jones is one of the greatest music producers of all time.
He helped musical talent from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra reach their potential as singers. The more success he achieved by helping others, the more he sought out to work with fresh talent.
I listened to an interview with him recently. He was asked to state some of his beliefs.
Here’s one he offered: “I’d rather say ‘I’m sorry’ than ‘I wish I had.’”
He didn’t elaborate much, but it sounded like an encouragement to take risks.
A guy like Quincy Jones could have been labeled as one kind of producer.
Because he took risks, his leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills were honed and tested. He was able to take a variety of paths and have a variety of experiences. The more he stepped out of his comfort zone, the more he got to experience things many would have thought impossible.
Trying new things, going places you haven’t been, reading stuff you haven’t sampled before, taking up new responsibilities – there are many things we can try if we are bolder.
