Want to be a rockstar business leader? Take a leaf out of Coldplay's book

It’s nearly the end of January, which means it’s a good time to review how many of my new year’s resolutions I’ve stuck with so far, and how many have fallen by the wayside.

I kept my resolutions for 2025 realistic;? drink less tea, drink more water, get back to going to the gym regularly, and most importantly, book tickets to Glastonbury this summer.??

Predictably, my success rate hasn’t been exactly stellar so far.? But when it comes to Glastonbury?? That one is firmly on my ‘to do’ list.?

For many music lovers, the annual spectacle that is Glastonbury is more than just a festival.? It’s an institution, stretching back decades, to spend a weekend revelling in live music from some of the biggest acts on earth.

Whether you’re lucky enough to attend and soak up the atmosphere in person, or you choose to tune in from your sofa and sing along from the comfort of your own home (sans the queues for loos) for millions, it’s unmissable.?? Glasto is a chance to discover emerging artists that you may have previously been unfamiliar with, or the opportunity to see your favourite artists belting out their back catalogue, with legendary sets over the years from David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Stormzy, REM, Oasis and Jay-Z to name but a few. ?It’s literally one of the biggest celebrations of music on the planet.?

In 2024, Coldplay headlined the Pyramid stage on Saturday night, making it the fifth time they’ve headlined the festival, a record unmatched by any other band in Glastonbury’s history.?? Having sold over 100 million albums worldwide,?they’re the most commercially successful group of the 21st century.? What’s even more incredible is that Chris Martin maintains that he ‘manifested’ the band’s global success and their first appearance at Glastonbury in 1999.? Truly, the stuff of dreams.

If you didn’t catch their set last year on the BBC, I can safely say, it was phenomenal.? As ever, the quartet that is Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Jonny Buckland played their biggest hits from a formidable back-catalogue, as well as showcasing tracks from their new album, all in that seamless, carefree style that belies just how incredibly skilled and rehearsed a band needs to be in order to play for two hours without a single beat missed, note dropped or an equipment snafu.?

Truly, it was a masterclass in stadium magic, which few bands have ever have or will get even close to. ?Queen notwithstanding, obvs (another article for another day).

?But the bit that brought a tear to my eye wasn’t their visceral rendition of ‘The Scientist’ (albeit that track still sends shivers up my spine).? It was Michael J. Fox joining them to play ‘Fix You’.?? The star is currently battling Parkinson’s disease, but that didn’t stop him from taking to the stage and giving it one hundred percent.??

It’s not the first time MJF has played with Coldplay, however.? In 2016, he took to the stage when the band played in New York and, in a nod to his eighties box office smash franchise ‘Back to the Future’, Mr Fox utterly shredded ‘Jonny be Goode’ by Chuck Berry, with Coldplay as his backing band, no less.? Because if you could, you would, right?

All of that is remarkable, but it’s not the main reason I’m talking to you about Coldplay today.?There’s something else that’s unusual about the band that is often overlooked, and I believe it’s a lesson for all business leaders.

Although there are four musicians on stage, formally there are five members of Coldplay.? The fifth being Phil Harvey.? Nope, I couldn’t pick him out of a police line-up either.? He’s rarely seen in public and goes about his business in a very incognito way. Often incorrectly called the band’s manager, Phil Harvey is in fact the Creative Director and referred to by Chris Martin as ‘the creative boss and most important member of Coldplay’.? Jonny Buckland says that ‘things are easier when Harvey is around because his presence gives a sense of security to his bandmates’.??

While very secretive about what his role exactly entails, from the limited interviews Phil Harvey has given in the last two decades, it appears that he is largely responsible for pulling together the threads of ideas that all the other band members have, and then discreetly and diplomatically blending those ideas into a finished song, to which everyone feels that they’ve contributed.? In doing so, Phil Harvey ensures that all the band members feel heard throughout the songwriting process, thus avoiding the curse of ‘creative differences’ which have led to the downfall of so many talented line-ups in musical history.

By listening to everyone and finding the right balance, Phil Harvey performs the ultimate magic trick; everyone contributes their ideas, yet the final output means that the sum is greater than the parts. ?That’s because the other band members respect the fact that Phil will listen to everyone, take on board their suggestions and then tactfully suggest the best course forward, with his word being final.??This dynamic fosters a sense of security and collaboration, because everyone involved is confident that they’ve shared their creative vision and ideas, and Phill will take the best bits from everyone and fold it all together to create another smash hit.??They all trust the process, because the process works. ?Proven by the prodigious record sales, obvs.

Which, when you think about it, is exactly what good leadership is all about isn’t it?

Consider your own business for a moment.? Can you, as CEO, Managing Director or whatever else you as the business owner call yourself, really say hand-on-heart that you’re getting the best from your senior leadership team? ?Are you playing to their strengths, listening to what they have to say, hearing the advice that they are giving you from the coalface of the business and then acting on it? ?And is your senior leadership team supported by robust processes that help them to consistently succeed? ??

In my experience, great leadership is more than just directing.? It’s about creating an environment where your team feels secure, valued and empowered.? In other words, like Phil Harvey, you need to step back and let your people shine, while providing the framework and encouragement they need to succeed.? Hire rockstars, then let them be rockstars.

Before you go, here’s a treat for you; that video of Michael J. Fox playing with Coldplay a few years ago. ?It really demonstrates what he can do on a guitar, which I was hugely surprised at and not only is it wonderful to see MJF in his element on stage, but you’ll also see the absolute joy on the Coldplay’s faces as their movie star hero lives his dream by playing live with one of the planet’s biggest bands. It really doesn’t get any better than that.

Take two minutes out of your day and enjoy: ?https://youtu.be/IVy8tz54_JA?si=XZPqLuDxeuQLLOTj

I’ll share my videos of Glasto in a few months, when I’ve finally been. ?In the meantime, wish me well with the water intake and gym regime…

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