Career lessons from James Corden and Carpool Karaoke

Career lessons from James Corden and Carpool KaraokeCareer lessons from James Corden and Carpool KaraokeOne of the most anticipated segments of late-night TV in recent years is Carpool Karaoke on CBSs The Late Late Show with James Corden. In case youre unfamiliar with the recurring segment, host Corden usually drives around an A-List singer past or present as they sing along to said singers prerecorded hits. Its simple, addictive and brilliant.And since life lessons pop up in the most unexpected places, Carpool Karaoke might also provide you with some career inspiration.Delight your captive audienceIf you think about it, on some level both Corden and the singer in question are trapped in a car together. The fact that they manage to transform the experience into instantly viral entertainment is the magical part. It is called captive market syndrome, said Maiden Manzanal-Frank, Founder, CEO Senior Consultant of Global Stakes Consultant. People ride on the car/limo or bus and there are entertainment, connections, and harmony that forms between strangers because of being stranded in one place. Its an interesting notion to think that while you cant choose your co-workers and are for all intents and purposes stuck together for the foreseeable future, you can decide whether you harmonize or create dissonance instead.Make them feel secureWhile Corden frequently pokes fun at his singing abilities, he also belts em out with the best of them. Its interesting to try to guess whether its Corden who makes his guests feel comfortable enough to sing naked without autotune or editing or vice versa. In the work world, you might be the geschftszimmer star or the one who still soaks it all up and hopes for that next big promotion. Its important to realize though that while reflected glory can be fleeting, making those you work with feel comfortable enough to shine is a valuable talent in and of itself.Show your admirationLets face it, James Corden is famous. He even has his own TV show The thing is though, that he has no problem being a fanboy either. Whether hes belting it out with Sir Paul McCartney (and weeping at times) or trying to keep up with Adele, hes clearly second fiddle in the equation and hes just fine with it. While kissing-up is never a great career move, letting someone know you think theyre great is always a smart move.Let the cracks showIn his song Anthem, the late great Leonard Cohen famously sang There is a crack in everything, thats how the light gets in. Perfection is overrated. Dont believe me? How much more fun is it to hear Corden and celebs warbling their tunes together and missing high notes rather than hearing the shiny packaged radio version? So much more fun If you struggle with something it doesnt make you a failure, it makes your ultimate success that much more impressive.Choose your greatest hitsLike most singers, we all have B-sides or the songs that never quite became hits. On Carpool Karaoke, Corden rarely picks the son gs no one knows and instead focuses on the top 10 nearly every single time. While you may have had a passion project at work, it might not be the best idea to highlight it in your year-end review if no one else ever heard about it. Instead, try listing the projects or papers or career highlights that set you apart as a star.But reinvent them from time to timePlay your best tunes over and over and over again in different formats with a different audience, said Manzanal-Frank. While tooting your own horn can be annoying, testing out your formula for success until you hit the perfect recipe can help you fine-tune it.