Something Prince Taught Me

On April 21, 2016 one of the world's most charismatic entertainers passed away. Although Prince Rogers Nelson has left us physically, he will always be with us spiritually through his music and movies. Growing up, Prince taught me a few important things about being a leader that are worth sharing.

First, he showed me that it is important to know your self worth. In 1993, he battled Warner Bros over the artistic and financial control of his music. Because Prince wasn't legally able to gain control of his music, he changed is name to an unpronounceable symbol to separate himself from the music he written, produced, and recorded until his contacted expired. However, the decision to change his name wasn't the only smart move he executed. During onstage and offstage appearances he would routinely appear with the word SLAVE written on his face as an attempt to emancipate himself from his undesirable record deal.

Another important thing that I learned from Prince is, actions speak louder than words. In 1983, the legendary Godfather of Soul, James Brown and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson invited Prince onstage to show off his skills and Prince rocked the crowd without singing. He captivated the audience by his movement, style, and energy. His performance exemplified that action is what really affects people and not words.

All things considered Prince was more than a musician, he was a leader who understood his craft and presented it magnificently. I guess that is the true meaning of purple rain.