Michelangelo Vision

Have you ever had an idea that you KNEW had potential, but struggled to help others see it? That’s what happened in Florence, Italy, in 1464.

The city of Florence had recently finished its cathedral, Il Duomo (The Dome), and wanted a series of statues of Old Testament prophets to guard its majestic roofline. A well known artist, Agostino Di Duccio, was commissioned and personally went to the marble quarries at Carrara to select a block worthy for the project.

After selecting a massive 6 ½ ton stone, Di Duccio followed as it journeyed by oxcart to the sea, where it was shipped 150 kms down the coast and up the Arno river to Florence by barge. Eventually the stone arrived, and finally… a year after being commissioned… Di Duccio began carving his statue for the cathedral.

Except for one problem.

He got stuck. The massive rock had unexpected weak points and impurities he couldn’t work around, to say nothing of its formidable size. He even carved a hole in the middle in an attempt to create some legs on the future statue, but to no avail. And so, for a host of reasons, Di Duccio gave up after only 1 year of effort.

What about the stone? Il Gigante (or The Giant) as the locals called it, sat in the yard with no one brave enough to work it. And so there it sat for another ten years collecting bird poo and dust as everyone wondered, “Could anything be done?”

(Photo: Carrara Marble Quarries)

Then in 1476, a new artist was chosen: Antonio Rossellino. Filled with creative vision, he threw himself against the rock trying to make headway. However, just like Di Duccio, the stone evaded his efforts, and he too gave up work after just 1 year.

And so The Giant sat in the stone yard once again… neglected and exposed to the weather… for another twenty five years. The problem was, the locals said, it was simply too big! It was difficult to stand up straight, it had impurities, and what about the hole? The multiple failed attempts scarred it to the point of being unworkable. Even the great Leonardo Da Vinci was consulted, and walked away shaking his head. Not even his mind knew what to do. All that money and work gone to waste.

Then, in 1501 word spread about a young Florentine sculptor who had just finished a masterwork in Rome. His Pietà depicting Mary holding the dying Christ was a marvel in marble and made people weep with its beauty. Maybe he could do something with The Giant? He was awarded the commission, and on August 16, 1501, the 26 year old artist began to work. For the next three years he would hammer, carve, chip, chisel, grind, cut, shape, sand, and polish his way into the heart of the stone. And the shape that emerged shocked and astonished all who saw it come forth.

And finally, on September 8, 1504…

40 years after being carved from the mountain…

38 years after being abandoned the first time…

28 years after being rejected the second time…

…the stone emerged triumphant as Michelangelo Buonarroti unveiled his colossal 17 foot tall Renaissance masterpiece: the David.

Today the statue, housed in the Uffizi Museum in Florence, draws millions of visitors each year who marvel at its achievement. And while many people take pictures of its flawless perfection, few know the story of how this era-defining statue came from a twice rejected 6 1/2 ton block of stone that nobody wanted for nearly 40 years.

(The David in Florence today… still trying to get a tan)

What does this have to do with influence and success?

There are of course many lessons, but I think one of the most important is this:

While the other sculptors worked (and failed) to shape the stone to their vision, Michelangelo had intensity of purpose and clarity of his end goals to the point where he saw the David inside …complete, intact, and perfectly polished… simply waiting to be liberated. Regarding another statue of his, Michelangelo once remarked, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

Sometimes when we have a good idea, we may struggle to communicate it to others. But maybe a touch of Michelangelo’s vision could help? Before others can see your idea in “The Giant” stone of opportunity, have you first conceptualized, visualized, and verbalized the goal with such radical clarity that you can see nothing else?

When Disney World opened in 1971, the story is told how a reporter asked Roy Disney how sad he must have felt that his brother Walt wasn’t there to see it come true.

“Walt didn’t see it?” Roy asked, “You are mistaken, sir. Walt saw it clearly before the rest of us ever did.”

Walt had Michelangelo vision, and saw Disney World emerging from Orlando’s swamps long before anyone else. Even more, he communicated his vision to others with power.

(Walt visited Disney World in his mind long before anyone else)

That’s because one of the differences between an idea with potential and an idea with permanence, is clarity.

Skilled as he was, it was Michelangelo’s clarity that liberated the David.

Successful as he was, it was Walt Disney’s clarity that formed Disneyworld practically from nothing.

Which brings us to you. What are your goals? What ideas are you trying to reach? How can you gain radical clarity as you communicate to others?

Clarity is contagious. Clarity also creates confidence. When you take the time to carve, chip, and chisel your thinking, and shape, sand, and sharpen your vision…your ideas will infectiously influence others and go from being merely potential… to powerfully permanent.

And who knows? Just like Michelangelo and Walt Disney, maybe your giant idea will be released from obscurity to touch the lives of millions, too.

• Christian

CHRISTIAN HANSEN has gone behind the scenes in some of the biggest organizations in the world to find out the reasons why some people get chosen and why others don’t. As the #1 bestselling and LinkedIn Top Ten ranked author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” Christian helps teams and organizations who want to stand out and be the obvious choice. With degrees from Brigham Young University and The London School of Economics, he’s helped thousands of individuals position and sell themselves. A fan of international communication, history, and choral music, he currently lives in Utah with his wife. Reach him at: TheChristianHansen.com