It’s the most motivational song of all time! Everyone knows the punching staccato riffs at the beginning of the iconic Rocky III theme song. It’s probably on your gym playlist (it’s on ours).
The song is most identifiable for inspiring boxers and athletes worldwide, so you may be wondering “well how does this affect my business”. At its core, this song is about staying at the top of your game and surpassing your competition, just like how Rocky had to find his killer-edge again to beat the ambitious Clubber Lang.
At times it can feel like once you meet a business goal, you can finally relax. As an entrepreneur, relaxation never comes because the longer you rest, a stronger challenger will approach. But that’s what keeps you on the top of your game.
BEHIND THE LYRICS
Eye of the Tiger is a triple whammy of motivational stories! The song itself is a pump-up anthem tied to one of the best motivational film series of all time. But it was a story of success for Survivor who were deemed ‘no hopes’ before their iconic track.
The song “Eye of the Tiger” was written specifically for Rocky III upon request of Sylvester Stallone (The Italian Stallion Himself). The song was selected after filming for the movie had concluded, and Stallone wanted a track which encapsulated Rocky’s hunger to win his big match.
Behind the scenes, the band Survivor was also fighting their own battle. Jim Peterik, former keyboardist, said after a mediocre reception to two albums the band was worried their record would drop them. That was until Stallone called them up with a chance to write the theme to his newest film. Needless to say, the song was a huge hit and put Survivor on the map!
DON’T LOSE YOUR GRIP ON THE DREAMS OF THE PAST
In business, comfortable means you’ve stopped growing. Entrepreneurs need to continually be moving ahead to expand and strengthen their enterprises. It can be enticing to slow down once you feel like you’ve peaked, but being comfortable for too long just gives a Clubber Lang type the chance to surpass you.
Songwriters for “Eye of the Tiger” Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik denounce ‘trading passion for glory’. The lyric is a direct statement on the situation Rocky finds himself in during the third film. Having become the world heavyweight champion, Rocky is rich and famous. The once humble, everyman lost his motivation and became overconfident with his skills. This directly leads to his downfall at the hands of the arrogant but determined Clubber Lang.
The remainder of the film (and in turn the song) focuses on the protagonist’s mission to rise to his rival’s challenge. When you feel comfortable in your business, it’s a sign you’ve lost sight of the goals which defined you.
While you may think there’s no harm in settling for a while, the world around you is continuing to move forward. To grow an entrepreneur needs to always be looking at the next goal.
THE DESIRE TO STAY ON TOP
Comfort quickly turns to complacency in the business world – taking a step back shows the competition that you’re slowing down, which gives them a chance to accelerate – to overtake you.
Getting complacent could cause trouble down the line for your business. Avoid losing your edge with these tips:
Never Stop Training: You need to treat your knowledge as your weapon. Always be researching, studying and working to make yourself the best business leader around. Your Rocky-style montage should be reading, researching and practising instead of skipping, pumping weights and running.
Change Things Up: The same style doesn’t work forever. To be the best you need to try new things. Getting out of your comfort zone is the best way to inspire change.
Get A Good Group: Rocky didn’t become a champion on his own. He had help from Mick, Apollo Creed, Adrian and more. As an entrepreneur meeting, new people who can help you achieve your goals is paramount to success. This group doesn’t need to be employees, just people you can look to and learn from.
