I’ve written several blogs about business development and joint ventures. But there’s far more to business development than just knowing how to make deals or closing a sale. A key component of business development is knowing how to be a leader. There’s a famous quote by Vince Lombardi, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.”

No one knows about hard work better than Kenny G, the Grammy award winning Saxophonist. His performances and on-stage presence are legendary. No one gets to his level without good old fashioned hard work and practice. Even a person of his caliber continues to work hard. I’m sure because he loves his art, but also because i think that music is not an end-game, but a journey.

Today, I had the great opportunity to participate in an event with Kenny G. He honored the George Mark Children’s House by visiting with us today, cajoling with the staff, playing with the kids, and just plain hanging out. He even directed his own video footage of the house to use at his concert tomorrow evening in Saratoga.

So, what makes a person a leader? Kenny G defined that today for all the families and staff at the George Mark Children’s House. One can only imagine the amount of requests Kenny G has on his time. And, just think about the amount of available time he has to give, considering his concert travels, set up, practice and even family time.

The fact that Kenny G took the time out of his busy schedule to visit a small, unknown care facility for terminally ill children is an example of what defines a leader. The fact that he spent twice the amount of time visiting than what we expected further illustrates his leadership qualities. And, to top it off, he just made people feel good, which is the real hallmark of a leader.

I’ve previously discussed why the music industry needs to change. New business development paradigms need to be developed which are more aligned with the realities of today’s world. One of these paradigms is the shift to cause-based marketing. This entails taking music and aligning it with a cause. Kenny G’s involvement today serves as an example of how a celebrity, wrapped around a cause, can move mountains. It’s a wake up call for the rest of the “me” celebrities that the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Kenny G, collaborated with three of his colleagues: Skyler Jett, Robert Damper and Genevieve Goings on a song called “Eternally.” It’s a song dedicated to the cause of George Mark Children’s House. The song celebrates life, dignity of soul, and compassion. Here is a wonderful example of celebrities giving back to the very people who need it most, our children. You can follow the journey at www.EternallyTheSong.com.” Thanks, Kenny.

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