Imagine leadership as a jazz ensemble, where each leader’s contribution creates a harmonious melody amidst the cacophony. In the complex symphony of today’s business world, where change, chaos, and uncertainty often compose the background music, embracing the theme of ‘Unstoppable Together’ is vital.
This is an invitation to immerse yourself in transforming leadership complexity into clarity through the resilient rhythms of connecting, caring, and coaching. It’s about accelerating into a new reality where we embrace ‘vuja de’—seeing the familiar in unfamiliar ways and moving steadfastly from complexity to clarity.
The Jazz of Resilience and Unstoppable Unity
Leading with resilience in the rhythm of jazz is about harmonizing the art of connecting, the melody of caring, and the rhythm of coaching. It’s about being the conductor who turns complexity into clarity and sees the potential in every new turn.
Connecting with Improvisation
Leaders, like jazz musicians, excel in improvising through unpredictable scenarios, creating a sense of ‘unstoppable together’ among their teams. As Jane E. Dutton and Emily D. Heathy, writing for the U of MI Ross School of Business articulate, “theories of human behavior in organizations need to take seriously the quality of connections between people to understand why people flourish or flounder and to unpack how they affect organizational functioning.” This connection is about transforming the complex web of human interactions into clear, purposeful collaborations.
Caring as a Harmonious Undertone
One of my mentors is Dr. Jean Watson, a scholar in caring science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I learned from her that business caring is like the harmonious undertone in a leader’s jazz band. Caring about each team member’s unique needs fosters an ‘unstoppable together’ mindset, shifting from the complexity of individual challenges to the clarity of collective strength and well-being. Team members are seen, valued, and understood.
Coaching with Syncopation
In the words of Marshall Goldsmith, world-renowned Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author, “The greatest challenge for successful leaders is to stay successful.” Coaching, akin to syncopated jazz rhythms, is about maintaining this successful rhythm through continuous learning and adaptation. It’s about guiding the team from the complexities of their roles to the clarity of achieving collective excellence and being ‘unstoppable together’.
I’ll never forget bumping into Dick Nunis, former Chairman of Walt Disney Attractions, who was hired by Walt back in the 1950’s. A friend invited me to a private cocktail party. I had just left the mouse house and still had pixie dust in my eyes for my new venture. He said “Simon, never forget the Disney name always sells.” It’s not the start of a venture but it’s the consistent effort to keep going and find new chords to play.
Leading with Vuja de and Clarity
Adopting a vuja de approach means viewing familiar business challenges through a new lens. It’s about leading teams from the complexity of well-trodden paths to the clarity of innovative solutions and uncharted territories.
I was listening to a podcast the other day and the host quoted Charlie Munger, the business partner of Warren Buffet. Mr. Munger said he would only invest in companies that fell into his circle of competence. I thought about it and realized when you are in your circle of competence, the reason you thrive is when everyone else is zigging you are zagging. You learn to thrive instead of survive, since you don’t see opportunities with your eyes, you see them with your mind.
The Resilience Crescendo: Unstoppable Together
True resilience in leadership is about composing a narrative of growth and opportunity amidst adversity. It’s about channeling the energy of challenges into a driving force that propels the team forward, transforming complexity into clarity, and embodying the spirit of being ‘unstoppable together.’
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