How is your career like Wicked?

Released globally in theaters on November 22, 2024, Wicked has become an international phenomenon, and as of December 31, 2024, has grossed $635 million worldwide. The opening weekend alone was a record breaker, with a domestic box office pull of $114 million, and global?box office of over $163 million.?

Directed by John M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the Golden Globe nominated movie is an adaptation of the Broadway hit musical, which was in turn inspired by the 1995 book, which itself was inspired by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (although the film was not legally allowed to reference The Wizard of Oz).?

Whew!

Wicked delves into what happened before The Wizard of Oz, following the meeting, friendship, and connection of Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland (admit it - this is the first time you’ve seen their last names). The musical and the movie are a visual and auditory treat, starting off in Munchkinland, going along with Elphaba and Galinda to their school, named Shiz, following their unlikely friendship and journey to The Emerald City.?

The 2024 release is part one of two, with part two, named “Wicked: For Good” set to release globally on November 21, 2025. Fans are already buzzing about teaser trailers and possible scenarios.

Before I share how your career is like WIcked, here are a few fun facts about the movie.?

The set was both intentional and extremely detailed. Director John M Chu cited Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook as inspiration for the large-scale sets and practical effects, including nine million colorful tulips planted on location to surround the Munchkinland set, a paved yellow brick road with real mud and a life-size art deco-inspired train to transport Elphaba and Glinda to the Emerald City, which he called the "Unlimited One". (source: Wikipedia)

Both Nick and Joe Jonas auditioned to play Fiyero, but the role ultimately went to Jonathan Bailey. Nick said this about his audition: "I think it went really well. I was very happy coming out of the room. I'm a huge fan of the show, and that's a role I always thought it would be fun to play. But I think Jonathan is going to do a great job." (source Buzzfeed.com)

The movie sets also doubled as a recording studio, and that's because Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo insisted on singing live while filming, rather than relying on pre-recordings. According to Ariana, sticking to a musical track would have been too limiting and wouldn't have let them improvise or try new things. It also would have prevented more of an "emotional connection" between the characters, actors, and music. But, more importantly, they wanted to sing live "in solidarity with the women on Broadway who've done this eight shows a week." (source Buzzfeed.com)

With all this newfound knowledge of Wicked, how then, is your career like Wicked?

You will likely be the only one who notices the hard work you put in day after day after day. But your efforts are both worthwhile and appreciated.

Makeup artists regularly spent between two and four hours just painting Cynthia Erevo the distinct shade of green, and typically took another 45 minutes to remove the paint. Every day. The costumes for Elphaba were modified to not rub off the paint, and other costumes were intricately designed. This is likely the first time you were aware of this.

In your career, you’ll put in a lot of effort preparing for meetings, developing business plans, charting results, and a host of other things you do day in and day out. Like the famous iceberg picture, what others actually see is a fraction of the work you do.?

And that’s ok. Accept that, and know, the pride and professionalism you put into doing your job might not be fully known, but it’s fully appreciated.?

Sometimes it takes courage to follow your path

Elphaba was initially determined to go on her mission to The Emerald City to “de-greenify” herself so she would fit in more with those around her, a personal journey that could be called “selfish”. After learning of the plans to silence the animals in Oz, she adapts her plans, and is determined to bring attention to and help the animals.?

Serving others rather than promoting yourself can feel uncomfortable and possibly unnatural, but in your career, the more value you add to others, the more you grow. As Bob Burg and John David Mann put it in The Law of Influence in their book The Go-Giver, “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first”.?

Have the courage to follow your path.

It’s all part of the journey

One of my favorite expressions is “it’s all part of the journey”. Just as Elphaba, Galinda, and friends encounter scheming, ulterior motives, deception, and obstacles, they draw closer together and thrive. In your career, things will rarely if ever go as planned. Understand that this is all part of the journey, your journey, and develop the resilient growth mindset to learn the lessons, grow, and move on.

I hope you enjoyed this wickedly different application of a pop culture phenomenon, and I hope I’ve given you a few things to think about as you go through your day.?

And as Elphaba said, “Everyone deserves a chance to fly!”

About the author

Michael Jones is a trusted voice on LinkedIn and in the career space on resilience, encouragement, culture, and professional development. Michael is a professional coach and speaker, and loves serving others.?

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