Beware of The Wizard of Oz
We are making our way steadily through the month and my list of “all things August”. It would almost be a crime if I didn’t write about the beloved classic the The Wizard of Oz. Unbelievably this classic was released 71 years ago on August 25th. Before I begin, here are a few fun facts about the 1939 classic:
- The movie was an adaption of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- The original Tin Man (Buddy Ebsen aka Jed Clampett) had to quit filming as he was allergic to the aluminum make-up.
- The movie was nominated for 6 Academy Awards (too bad it was up against Gone With the Wind that year).
- The 1939 version was not the first time the book had been made into a film.
There are several good life and business lessons that we can learn from The Wizard of Oz, but one I found extremely important is to beware of the “Wizard of Oz”. You know who I’m talking about, the person or company that promises the world if only you give them what they want first (in other words, a lot of money). Just like the wizard they hide behind a curtain of deception. They promise top Google placement, higher SEO, more fans, more followers, more customers and of course out of the world profits, but in reality they can’t deliver.
The good news is that you don’t have to be fooled. The better news is that just like Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Lion you have it in you already to make your business a success; in essence you don’t need the “man behind the curtain”. If you have a worthy goal like Dorothy, the courage of the Lion, a heart like the Tin Man, a Brain (or even half of one) like Scarecrow and of course worthy and helpful friends or partners along for the journey, there is no telling how truly successful you will be.
So, don’t be fooled by the yellow brick road. There is no easy path to success in business or life. You will make mistakes and trip and fall along the way, but therein lies great learning and growth.
So before you go looking on the other side of the rainbow, you may want to take a closer look at where you are, who you are and who you have around you, and you may find that you already had it in you all along.
P.S. Stay away from Lions, Tigers and Bears. Oh my!
