Jimmy Iovine began his fruitful journey
in the entertainment industry after befriending songwriter Ellie Greenwich who
got him a cleaning job at the studio she recorded at (Fricke, 2012). By 1975,
the Brooklyn native began producing for some of the biggest names in music with
"the magic ears that can hear what you're thinking" (¶ 1). After
producing and engineering for some of the biggest legends in rock music like John
Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, U2, James Brown, Patti Smith and many
others, Iovine co-founded Interscope Records in 1990 with Ted Field, which is
now home to over 150 artists and more than 10 associated labels (Wild, 1997). As
of January 2013, Iovine has since stepped away from his post at Interscope and
made way for a new CEO/president that will enable Iovine to take on new
adventures related to his number one passion and talent (Fricke). Jimmy Iovine
has demonstrated effective leadership by developing people, developing his
staff and putting into motion the strong vision he has for them.
Iovine
prides himself on his knack for artist/producer chemistry. When asked by David
Fricke of Rolling Stone Magazine how Iovine makes their records better without
producing them, Iovine replied, "Very simple...I use my producing skills
in an A&R capacity." Iovine is known for experimenting with different
artists to yield unlikely results, as is the case with 2001's "Let Me Blow
Your Mind", a duet that saw rapper Eve and No Doubt rocker Gwen Stefani
flowing over a signature Dr. Dre beat. "Those are my skills. I know who
can work together. If I hear a writer and a producer, or a producer and a
track, I go, 'Do it like that'" (Fricke.) Iovine also co-produced award
winning films like Eminem's 8 Mile, the
LeBron James' documentary More Than A
Game, and 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die
Trying; films that allowed fans to delve deeper inside the lives of their favorite
figures.
Jimmy
Iovine is an effective leader because he constantly adopts a vision consistent
with what he wishes to accomplish. Immediately after he signed on to American
Idol two seasons ago, Universal Music Group (Interscope's father company now
responsible for the distribution of American Idol winners) saw a drastic increase
in record sales. Both season 10 winner Scotty McCreery and season 11 winner
Victor Phillips surpassed the expectations of season 9 winner Lee DeWyze,
selling 1.2 million and 3.3 million on Interscope, respectively (Gallo). Iovine
and hip-hop superstar Dr. Dre have also joined forces in 2008 to introduce
Beats by Dr. Dre, a product that grosses approximately $500 million in annual
sales (Martin, 2011). There have been mixed reviews about Beats by Dre and
lawsuits aimed at Monster (the company who manufactures the headphones) but one
thing's for certain: Beats by Dre isn't just a listener's apparatus, it has
become a fashion statement and a way of life for its consumers. Furthermore, Iovine
and Dre's Beats Electronics recently acquired MOG, a music streaming service
that currently boasts more than half a million users, for $14 million
(Raymundo, 2012).
Lastly,
Jimmy Iovine has learned one of the most crucial lessons of leadership, which
comes in the form of staff development. Because Iovine wanted to extend his
"magic ears" toward other ventures, he needed to find a replacement
for Interscope Geffen A&M that shares the same vision for success that he
does. Iovine chose John Janick for the job and is seemingly pleased with his
decision. Janick co-founded a subsidiary of Warner Music Group based out of New
York City called Fueled by Ramen, which spawned emo-pop groups like Paramore,
Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco (Gallo, 2013). Iovine places emphasis on
new emerging artists and is confident that Janick has the know how to get the job
done.
In closing, Jimmy Iovine has demonstrated
throughout his career that he knows the recipe for building a fruitful and
successful legacy by developing people, developing his staff and promoting a
strong vision for them for years to come. Iovine recalls that he didn't know
how to do anything as a kid and that he didn't learn one thing in high school;
he had to get a job at the A&P to learn how to sweep (Fricke). There is one
thing he was good at from the jump and that was speaking his mind; Iovine wants
things done one way and that's the right way. When all is said and done and
Jimmy Iovine looks back on his career, it will be from atop the fifth level of
leadership. This is where people follow you and buy into your system because of
who you are. Today, Iovine belongs to this level because he has "spent
years growing people and organizations" (Maxwell, 1993).
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