‘Dancing with the Stars’ Cuban Revisits His Best Job Ever

CEOs who don’t act like CEOs have always won my admiration. I like an executive who eschews having a bland persona, a maverick who packs some personality, instead of being a cookie-cutter suit stamped out by corporate America. So I’ve got to give props to HDNet’s Mark Cuban and Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons this week.

On Wednesday ABC announced that Cuban — the HDTV and Internet pioneer, Dallas Mavericks owner and some-time CTAM Summit speaker – will be a contestant in this season’s Dancing with the Stars. The mega-hit kicks off its fifth season Sept. 24.

Cuban, God love him, is one of the few big media executives who will actually answer a reporter’s inquiries himself, via email. When I asked him why he had committed to the strenuous regime that Dancing will require, within an hour he shot back a reply.

“It’s one of those chance-in-a-lifetime opportunities,” Cuban wrote in his email. “My entire family is a fan of the show, and my 4-year-old was pretty darn persuasive about me doing it. I’m excited. It will be great rehab for me, and an amazing experience.”

Cuban was referring to his recent surgery, when he had his left hip totally replaced seven weeks ago. 

I had read recently that Cuban in his tender youth had taught disco dancing, and I asked him about that.

“I did give lessons back in college – 25 bucks an hour to teach sororities line dances,” Cuban said. “Best job I ever had!”

That amusing factoid was not part of the resume that ABC included in its Dancing with the Stars press release. ABC merely described Cuban as “the highly successful entrepreneur who founded HDNet, Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions. Cuban went on to sell Broadcast.com and Micro Solutions to Yahoo! and CompuServe, respectively.”

Anyway, I can’t wait to see how Cuban does competing against Dancing’s roster of contestants, which includes Wayne Newton, Marie Osmond, and actress Jane Seymour, boxer Floyd Mayweather, “Scary Spice” Melanie Brown, Disney Channel Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan; Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves and Beverly Hills: 90201 alum Jennie Garth.

And why did Time Warner’s Parsons, whose sideline is a vineyard in Italy, get my attention? In an interview in The New York Times last Saturday, Parsons commented on his approach to business, as compared to News Corp.’s Rupert Murdoch, who built a global media conglomerate from a small newspaper business.

“News Corp. is Rupert’s life’s work,” Parsons told The Times. “I am not trying to build a dynasty or create a monument. I know this comment will upset some people, but this is my job. It’s not my life. I don’t define myself by this.”

What an astounding remark from a CEO, the notion of balancing life’s priorities. It usually takes a brush with a serious illness, or a death of a loved one, to take that lesson home to folks.

Mr. Parsons, I agree with you. And continued success with your winery, one of your passion projects.