How Charlie Watts turned Mick Jagger from band boss to leader

A painful lesson in leadership skills

Keith Richards told Peter Jennings the following story in an interview with Rolling Stone: "A drunken Jagger had upset Watts by calling his hotel room and repeatedly shouting, 'Where's my drummer?' Whatever context Mick had said it in, it apparently didn't go down well with Watts, who marched up to the singer's hotel room to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. About 20 minutes later, Richards said, there was a knock at the door. 'There stood Charlie Watts, in a Savile Row suit, perfectly dressed, tie, shaved, the works,' he wrote. 'I opened the door and he didn't even look at me, walked right past me, grabbed Mick and said, "Don't ever call me your drummer again. You're my fucking singer!" Then he lifted him up by the lapels of my jacket and gave him a right hook.' He added: 'Mick fell backwards onto a silver platter of smoked salmon and slid towards the open window and the canal below.... It takes a lot to upset this man.'

The Tone of voice, the music and the soft skills

Mick Jagger's role as bandleader at this point was accepted by all members of the group. Charlie Watts commented in a later interview: "If I'd been running the Rolling Stones, they wouldn't have got anywhere. We'd still be running around trying to find an amp, 30 years later."

Jagger had been taking exemplary care of finances, touring and publicity at the time of the scandal - in addition to his job as frontman. But his ego was slowly getting out of control. Richards: "He treated us like his servants, and while I drank away my anger with White Russians and bourbon, Charlie Watts was seething more and more, finding no solace in alcohol and drugs." Until it finally came to a scandal. The head of the band had his head washed properly, in front of the entire band.

(Quote:)

"YOU ARE MY DAMN SINGER!"

Jagger had to have a massive rethink: he had to admit that his arrogance was groundless, he had to admit that he would never have got this far without the help of his bandmates, and he had to learn to show his appreciation by becoming a real team player. Jagger realized very quickly that the sound makes the music. He then changed his "leadership style" by practicing his soft skills. The Rolling Stones still exist and Charlie Watts remained part of the band until his death.

"Cult of Personality" - a romantic notion from times gone by

Simon Sinek, US author and management consultant, has spent many years working on soft skills in the international corporate environment. Topics such as the role of leadership in large companies and the team skills of managers are an integral part of Sinek's many years of research and analysis. In his work with companies and organizations around the world, he noticed one thing in particular: some teams had such uncompromising trust in each other that they would literally sacrifice their lives for others. Other teams, on the other hand, were trapped in a maelstrom of disregard, envy and resentment, and they were - ultimately - doomed to failure (read about it in the book "Leaders eat last" by Simon Sinek).

Why was this the case?

After more detailed research, the answer was usually: The "boss" of these teams was not able to properly fulfill his role as team leader. The team had not accepted him as a leader. A designated boss is not always the driving force of the company.

The quintessence of modern leadership, like any human gathering, is strongly based on trust, a certain emotional connection and acceptance of all collaborating professionals within organizations. Appreciation of others and basic trust in their abilities leads to a culture of open communication, risk-taking and - ultimately - innovative thinking. The fact that a "leader" not only gives orders, but also understands the needs of the team, offers support and demonstrates social responsibility is a fundamental component of the success model. Only when he fulfills these requirements can a boss become an accepted leader - and only then can an innovative corporate culture emerge. Mick Jagger was ultimately trained by his own team to become a real leader. He was lucky that his team gave him a second chance. He made the most of it - sustainably 😉

Conclusion - The environment

The managing director of a medium-sized developer and manufacturer of future-oriented kitchen applications once said to me recently: "It's like vegetables, a dry, cracked field for mono-crops will not produce a bountiful harvest." The Rolling Stones' environment is certainly a special one, both for the Stones and for the fans. But perspective, or the ability to put yourself in the other person's shoes, is half the battle when it comes to leadership. The rest were and still are one of the most successful "business cases" in music history.