Are you Diana Ross, or a Supreme? Are you a Head Coach, or do you function better as an Offensive Coordinator, unshackled of all the duties and pressures that the HC of a team or leader of a band (Springsteen/Jagger/Ross) have to deal with? The documentary 20 Feet from Stardom deals with that exact subject matter as it delves into and salutes the unknown names of the well known voices that have shaped the past 70 years of pop music.

But, 20 Feet from Stardom is much more than a music study. It’s also a study of how talented people will find their perfect role in any band, business, or organizational chart. It shows why sometimes the most talented person in a group will not be the lead, the loudest, or face of the group, often because they don’t have the want to deal with the aforementioned pressures that come with being the leader. Or they simply aren’t as comfortable dealing with people and making decisions and are happy to follow the path that the businesses leader takes. For some, having less responsiblity is worth the trade-off of having less physical control, but more mental happiness. And that’s why many of the profiled voices may be just as, or even more physically talented than the people they work for, but were more than happy to be a little bit behind.

Sports gives us this lesson on a yearly basis. Last years top coordinator does not always make the best head coach. In the NFL, Josh McDaniels and Brian Daboll are recent examples of immensely smart and talented people whose skill sets did not transfer to being a Head Coach. Unfortunately, they and the GM’s of their teams could only find that out by going through the process, and having it fail. And while it means wasted years to the organizations and fan bases, from a personal point of view, the failure likely gives both coaches clarity on where they belong, and what will make them happiest and most successful in their future professional careers.

20 Feet from Stardom is now free viewing for Amazon Prime Customers, and also likely available on numerous other digital platforms. It is informative, inspiring, and just may help you find that delicate balance of using your talent to take you to where you should be, which could be right up front…or just a little behind! And the view from either can be fantastic!