You may not be aware of this, but I’m actually a classically trained violinist.
No, this is not what I do for a living, but it’s what I did for over a decade growing up. In fact, the capstone to my “musical” career was to play Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto no. 1 in G minor with a full orchestra accompanying me (that’s a picture of me during that concert). You can listen to it here (no, this is not me performing it, it’s Itzhak Perlman, one of my violin heroes.)
In fact, I never thought I’d get the chance to actually hear him live, but it happened! He came to Nashville and it was worth every penny. He’s a living legend.
Have you ever considered the relationship between music and leadership?
In a TED Talk from 2008, Benjamin Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, discusses the relationship that music has with effective leadership.
You can watch it here, but let me share a few of my thoughts and reactions on the musical art of leadership, based on his talk:
- While you might learn the stuff of leadership in a book, seminar, or classroom, the art of leadership can only be learned overtime through sweat, tears, and practice.
- Rather than trying to rationally convince people they need what you’re offering, figure out a way to awaken, within them, a desire for it,
- The best leaders focus on making other people powerful, rather than themselves.
- When people aren’t following, you need to ask yourself, “Who am I being that others aren’t being inspired?”
- Leaders awaken possibility in others, rather than use others to awaken their own possibility.