Best Lessons From John Stewart’s Career
Last night, John Stewart turned off the lights for the last time on The Daily Show, where he and his co-workers created a machine that for 16 years has given poignant political commentary and media commentary through comedy. Let’s see how they did it and what we can learn.
Surround yourself with great people
When discussing the show’s inner workings, the always self-deprecating Stewart was adamant about one thing: the show’s crew is what makes it great. From producers and interviewers to screenwriters, a daily talk show requires a small army. Stewart may have the final say in creative and editorial decisions about the broadcast, but he’s not only moving the show forward. Just the other day, Stewart told longtime friend Denis Leary that he doesn’t expect to ever reach the level of collaboration he has with his current staff:
“This is what I know I will never get again. […] I will never find such a group of people again. I will never find such cooperation. I will never find writers, producers and all these people. And I know that. And I had to come to terms with it. “
Of course, the most public aspect of the collaboration is the writers’ room, where stories and anecdotes are processed and refined. Comedy, produced on a regular basis, can be strenuous day-to-day work with a tight deadline that has no flexibility, leaving little room for selfishness or concern about whose jokes are on the air. In fact, with a bench staffed by seasoned comedy writers, Stewart isn’t necessarily present in the early morning meetings when the writers and producers come up with ideas. The New York Times summarized a 2008 panel discussion in which the Daily Show writers discussed their process:
“The staff have a morning meeting discussing the tidbits that have been picked up by a steady cast of writers, producers, graphic artists and researchers, many of whom have been working on ideas since the news broke yesterday. “We are clarifying which angles we will take, and we all agreed,” said Mr. Havlan, who has been working on the series since 1996. “We joke from 9 to 10. Jokes from 9 to 10 often hit the show.” John Stewart sometimes joins in at the end.
As the saying goes, hire people smarter than you. As you work on any project, surround yourself with people whose skills and abilities can improve your work beyond what you can do alone.
Restrictions Can Benefit Your Job
As imposing as it is to write and produce a literal daily show , the tough deadline and the consequent ephemeral nature of the show can actually be liberating. John Stewart has experience in stand-up, and in a conversation with Jerry Seinfeld Stewart explained that “in stand-up, new material is much more expensive. [From The Daily Show], like, I should . ” He means that he has to produce something . By comparison, being attached to the news cycle makes perfectionism nearly impossible; the show must continue regardless of the writer’s stalemate. As heexplained to Rolling Stone , this limitation could free up:
“It’s easier for me to do this than when I was hosting a regular talk show, because […] there is a news cycle that needs to be worked on. You don’t have to stick to it, but at least you can handle it, so it’s a little easier. […] It’s liberating because you don’t have to come every day and ask, “What kind of joke am I kidding about Derrier J-Lo today?” “
Most of us don’t make a living by joking, but it can be helpful to approach our work without a sense of perfectionism. Waiting for the moment to be inspired is usually the most detrimental to your productivity. It depends on the nature of the work and the decision on hand – I’m not talking about surgery, but the brain’s recognition of the ephemerality of the daily thresher relieves the pressure that comes with a well-intentioned goal of getting the job done right.
Know when to move on
John Stewart’s decision to leave the Daily Show while it was still at the top came as a surprise to many, but he spoke of the need to leave before any feeling of boredom reigned. ruts I’ve erased, ”he told Seinfeld last year. Of course, for many, the opportunity to quit their jobs is a luxury. But being overly complacent at work and simply doing everyday tasks is detrimental to your career.
You should not quit your job just because it is not perfect, but remember that there is a lot of it. When you feel like you can find another job that suits you better, it’s worth exploring the possibilities. And even if your loyalty to your colleagues is holding you back, they will be fine. As Stewart told the Guardian , “The value of this show goes deeper than my input.”
And now John is going to do whatever he wants, leaving us for a time without a leading voice in the venerable field of bullshit detection. Watching the show was a personal education for me – education in comedy as a tool to prove my point, and how honest and thorough work can destroy the insincere noise of the world.