More Than Words: The Consistency Dilemma

We hear a lot of talk about authenticity these days, but in my estimation, authenticity isn’t nearly as important as consistency.

Decide who you’re going to be and how you’re going to show up on a daily basis, then keep that promise. You’ll have days when your authentic self might feel like collapsing, but you owe it to your clients, customers, and colleagues to fulfill the promise anyway.

Consistency

As a magician there were plenty of nights when I’d just had an argument with my significant other, or was in the middle of a brutal head cold, and still had to go on stage. The audience paid to be there, with money, time, or both, and it’s really none of their concern what my authentic self felt like.

They deserved the experience promised in my promotional materials and by my reputation. The show must go on, as they say.

Consistency is often the lifeblood of success, not authenticity.

Exploration

And yet, we don’t grow as people, artists, or businesses unless we push the envelope and test new ideas.

Meet new people. Gain new experiences. Break. Build. Create. Explore.

Fulfillment rarely comes from doing the same thing we’ve always done, nor does greatness. But what happens when your new idea isn’t consistent with the promise you’ve made?

“More Than Words”

The tale of late 80s metal band Extreme is tragic. As one of the most technically and artistically proficient bands of the decade, they caught a handful of bad breaks.

First, they were about five years too late, debuting on the scene as the era of big-haired hard rock bands featuring virtuoso guitarists and singers with impossibly large ranges was waning. Sure enough, the early 90s grunge movement was just around the corner ready to kill 80s rock forever.

Second, and more importantly, their biggest hit practically destroyed the band.

The music video opens with a close-up of an amplifier being turned off, as we see the bass player and drummer leaving their posts. Then guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt and Broadway-inspired vocalist Gary Cherone perform a beautiful, swooning acoustic song all on their own.

“More Than Words” reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and quickly permeated the culture. You still hear it on radio stations, in malls, restaurants, and other public places on a daily basis nearly 30 years later.

So what’s the problem?

Expectations Matter

If you’ve heard a bunch of singles from the hot new funk metal band with big hair, what do you expect at a concert? Right, and that’s precisely what Extreme fans got.

But what if you’ve been swooning to the most romantic acoustic love ballad in history, realize the boys who sing it are coming to town, get tickets, and the discover that nearly the entire concert is heavy, funk metal about sex?

Yikes.

Now, you might be the kind of person who loves funk metal, and would have totally gone to this concert. But if you’re expecting a romantic comedy and it turns out the movie is a psychological thriller with gore and jump scares, cognitive dissonance kicks in.

Extreme embraced the song and their true fans did as well, but there’s no question the success of “More Than Words” was a blessing and curse: it skyrocketed them into stardom while creating a consistency/branding problem hurt their long term prospects.

Legacy

How do you want to be remembered? What do you want to leave behind?

“More Than Words” will go down in history, but unfortunately Extreme probably won’t. It’s a shame. They’re one of my all-time favorite bands and, even if you don’t enjoy their brand of music, it’s hard to argue with their technical proficiency and musical prowess.

If you want to go down in history, it’s best to focus on consistency (see Nike).

If you want your work to go down in history, it’s best to focus on innovation (see the Pet Rock).

Is it possible to have both? Sure. See Steve Jobs and Apple for an exception that proves the rule, a perfect combination of consistency of brand and innovation of product. But that’s a balancing act few will achieve, and is often more the result of luck and circumstances than deliberation.

My suggestion? When in doubt, go for consistency. No one will ever complain that you fulfilled your promise and lived up to expectations.