A case for entrepreneurial leadership

More than half a year ago, in my leadership seminars, participants would laugh and love the session, while others wondered why I presented Taylor Swift as a case study on entrepreneurial leadership.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

Then, business articles began articulating the same perspective.

I have combined two writers' takes on Taylor Swift. One is from Peter Cohan, and the other is from novelist and author Michael Grothaus. I then took the liberty of adding a few personal observations.

Taylor Swift embarked on her Eras tour with ambitious financial expectations. Initially, the tour was estimated to yield between $500 million and $1.5 billion in profits. However, the tour's staggering success surpassed these projections, potentially netting Swift a remarkable $6 billion.

There are three pivotal factors behind this incredible surge:

The power of expansion: Swift responded to increasing demand by adding 94 more tour dates, ultimately expanding the tour to 146 stadium performances. This substantial increase, representing an increase of 181 percent in the number of Eras stadium dates, significantly boosted the tour's financial triumph.

Fans' enthusiasm: Each concert witnessed a higher fan turnout than initially estimated, with an average of 72,459 attendees per show. Remarkably, the average ticket price of $456, while lower than the projected $700, ultimately contributed to Swift's burgeoning net profit.

Merchandise magic: Merchandise sales at the venues proved to be a financial goldmine, far exceeding initial forecasts. Fans, eager to connect with Swift's brand, spent an average of $214.80 on concert merchandise, doubling the original estimate of $80 per fan.