2 Lessons From the Rise of 'Fast Car' to No. 1

Searching for your next superstar player, sales rep or executive? On Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. EST, 3x Super Bowl-winning executive Michael Lombardi will host a one-time, online event, “Evaluating Talent in the NFL.” Only 140 spots left!

On June 11, 1988, Wembley Stadium was packed.   

A who’s-who of musicians had gathered in London to perform for Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday, and Stevie Wonder was set to take the stage next.

But when he learned the hard disc of his synthesizer — which carried 25 minutes of music for his tracks — was missing, he reluctantly decided he wouldn’t be able to perform.   

With organizers in desperate need of a substitute, they turned to a 24-year-old American named Tracy Chapman, who would perform a couple of songs — including one titled “Fast Car.”

Nearly four decades later, Chapman’s song rose to No. 1 on iTunes this week — thanks in large part to a stirring Grammy performance she did with country music sensation Luke Combs, who released his own version of it in 2023.

“Fast Car’s” renewed prominence in the last year has a couple of key leadership lessons for us:

1. We never know where inspiration will come from

On the surface, Chapman and Combs have little in common. She’s 59, he’s 33. She’s Black, he’s White. She went to Tufts. He went to Appalachian State. She’s pop/alternative. He’s country.    

The point is that inspiration sometimes comes from unexpected places. Just because someone may not be in our industry or we may not have much in common with him/her on the surface doesn’t mean we can’t learn or be influenced by them.   

We’d benefit from keeping an open mind and being receptive to how others can possibly make us better.

2. It can take years for great work to be appreciated

“Fast Car” was written in 1986 and came out two years later. It garnered attention right away, but that naturally dissipated over the decades.

Then, Combs released his version last year — and it blew up.

The point is that we frequently have ideas and concepts that we think are impressive and should be celebrated.

But a failure to garner the spotlight right away doesn’t mean our work is bad, nor is it an indictment of our larger skillset.

It may just take time to get in front of the right ears.

Building a winning team — whether in football, sales, or an athletics department— starts with selecting the right talent. Discover how it’s done in the NFL on February 22nd at 4 p.m. EST/1 p.m. PST. This special presentation from Michael Lombardi will explore the NFL Talent Evaluation System developed during his time with the Cleveland Browns and will showcase how to develop your team philosophy, evaluate talent and character, leverage a grading scale, and so much more.

Don’t miss your chance to transform your team selection process. Attend Michael Lombardi’s presentation on February 22nd, incorporate strategies from the NFL into your own selection process, and recruit your next superstar. Spaces are limited to the first 500 registrants — reserve your free spot now. Only 140 spots left!

This presentation is part of the launch of "Community Artifacts", a new feature of The Daily Coach Network. The Daily Coach Network is a vetted membership community of sports executives, business leaders, and coaches who learn together and support each other to improve their teams' performance. Applications are once again open, apply before the deadline here.

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