08-12-18
Study how Jimmy Fallon connects.
Jimmy Fallon might be the greatest all-around entertainer alive today. Consider how much competition there was for his job! The network could have chosen anybody, from any genre of entertainment, and they went with Fallon. But why? His job is not easy. A late night host has to grab the audience in a television market that is saturated with talent. He has to do all he can to keep the audience watching even through the commercial breaks. So who gets a job like that? As it turns out, it’s not a person who comes across as intimidatingly talented (even though he is intimidatingly talented!); it’s a person who comes across as utterly non-threatening in spite of having the ability to "do it all."
Jimmy Fallon can sing, dance, deliver a punch line, and generally be amazing at everything, all while somehow giving 100% of the spotlight to someone else. Audiences love this guy, because he is genuinely a “nice guy.” That must be the entire trick to “having friends and influencing people.” It is obvious that Jimmy Fallon is reticent to hurt anyone’s feelings, and that his first priority at all times — his way of getting a thrill — is to make CERTAIN that everyone he meets is having a good time. There are many people (perhaps most) who get a thrill out of hurting people’s feelings or making situations awkward and unpleasant. It gives them a sense of power. But not the likes of Jimmy Fallon. He gets his cheap thrills by making others feel valuable. It has opened every imaginable door for him, and it can do the same for you.
Make sure that people feel good in your presence, and the world is your oyster.
