The world mourns the passing of a magical, musical icon. Michael Jackson is arguably the most popular entertainer that ever lived.

His concerts had such an impact on people that it was quite normal to see both women and men crying during his performances. Children at the tender ages of three and four years old are now experimenting with the famous moonwalk dance, even though the dance moves were introduced about two decades before their birth.

What Michael leaves behind is a legacy of songs that will have a timeless impact on the lives of many.

What lessons can be learnt from this legend's life and songs? I wish to highlight just a few points that can be used to guide our personal lives and business acumen.

During his lifetime, Michael did several plastic surgeries that left him looking very different from his original appearance. One can conclude that he struggled with issues of self-acceptance. Individuals need to learn to appreciate their unique attributes. The things we want to change about ourselves are sometimes the very things that people admire about us. Self-acceptance is a strong pre-requisite for self-confidence.

In a similar vein, although organisations must continuously change in order to grow, equally, there must be recognition of the internal strengths of the organisation in order to retain competitive advantage. The unique strengths need to be retained in order to maintain the organisation's client base.

commitment to excellence

A second notable fact about the superstar was his commitment to excellence. It was often reported that he spent a significant amount of time perfecting his dance moves. Wanting something and being good at it are not the only ingredients required to attain excellence. One has to seek consistently to attain excellence and raise the bar that was previously set. This is true for our personal lives, and it is true for business.

Finally, Michael had numerous hit songs but for me, the ones that resonate most are Heal the World and Earth Song. These songs depict his passion for social harmony and human kindness. These are wonderful qualities for any human being to exhibit. From a corporate standpoint, businesses that engage in corporate social responsibility do not only attract more public attention but also enjoy a positive corporate image, which results in enormous possibilities.

Let us use these lessons from Michael's life to enhance our development.

I am, etc.

GILLIAN MARTIN

captivatingsolutions.ja@

gmail.com