Music has always been a part of my life. Music has always played in our house. I’ve been a performing musician who has been lucky enough to have my songs on the radio, and I’ve seen well over 500 bands over the years. Passing the Baton’s history is also marked with music from Finding Leadership in Music to a couple of other Be Series shows called Be the Record (Show 367) and Be a Song (Show 420).
Today, we’ll take one more spin on the music topic with Be the guitar. Let’s look at how a block of wood can inspire us to be better leaders in work and in life.
Unseen tension brings everything in tune
Guitars can be beautiful instruments to look at, but below their visual appeal and artistry in their creation lies hidden tension that brings them to life. The backbone of the guitar is hidden away inside the neck – known as the truss rod. This piece provides just enough tension to keep the neck straight and true. Too much or too little tension from the truss rod can cause notes to buzz, and if the problem consists, it can even ultimately ruin the instrument. There is also separate tension for each string to bring it to the proper tuning. All of them have to be dialed in just right, otherwise even the best guitar will sound awful.
Life and leadership are often the same way – we balance multiple areas of tension in what we do inside and outside of work. For many, that tension may look like:
- Meeting customer demands vs costs
- speed vs quality
- simplicity vs robust offerings
- quality vs quantity
- care vs capacity
- leading others vs taking care of yourself
What tension areas are you balancing (or perhaps need to balance) in your work and personal life? Take time this week to identify these areas and work to bring harmony in those areas. It’s always great to get feedback from the people impacted by those points of tension to see if you are getting it right or if you and your team could improve.
One function, endless ways to get there
At the end of the day, guitars all do the same thing. They play notes and chords and output sound either acoustically or electronically. If you’ve even walked into a guitar store, you’ve likely seen a whole spectrum of offerings and options – different colors, shapes, pickups, types of wood used, and different hardware. I’m not sure it’s a point of pride or slight embarrassment that I currently have 8 different bass guitars at the house. Each one is different from the other in how they look, play, and feel. Ultimately, they all accomplish the same thing, carrying the low end of a band’s sound and musical register.
I’ve talked over the years about people over positions. The concept is that a position or role doesn’t hold much value. For the most part, there is nothing special or unique about the job, despite how we sometimes convince ourselves otherwise. A company can likely fill your role in a relatively short time if they have their act together. What makes all the difference is you, the person, and your unique skillset and perspective. There is only one you, and that is truly a very valuable resource.
Sometimes it’s tempting to change yourself or not live out your work or personal life authentically, because you are trying to fit into a group or meet someone’s expectations. If you find yourself not being able to embrace your personhood, ask yourself a hard question: “Is this dynamic healthy and good for me?” If it’s not, perhaps it’s time for a change. If it is, then be sure to be an advocate and support others to show up authentically as well.
They can transform the person who welds them
I love playing music, and as funny as it may sound, I feel a sense of calling to be a conduit for the crowd to connect to the music and to the message of the song. Even today, I’m known to jump around and move back and forth across a stage space, yell out the lyrics, and give everything I have during our time sharing music with others. I joke that it almost feels like I blackout when we play; I don’t plan to do any of those things, and it all goes by in such a quick blur.
I also attend a lot of concerts every year. Am I that way in the crowd, or would I be that way on stage without my instrument? Absolutely not! For me, my guitar brings out one of the best versions of myself – one that is not self-critical or overthinks what I am doing in the moment.
Is your presence one that transforms others? I love bringing out the best in others, whether it’s helping a person meet their career aspirations or raise their capability to a level that they never thought possible. What small things can you do this week to elevate those around you – your co-workers, your leaders, and those that you care about outside of work? Find one thing that you can do for a person in each of those three groups.
They require work and commitment to master
I mainly play the bass guitar, and it’s a deceptively easy instrument to play. Four strings, no complicated chords to learn, and you don’t need the same level of investment that you need for an electric guitar to get a great sound from it. All instruments require commitment and time investments for them to reach their fullest potential. In most pieces that I write today, I choreograph my notes, rhythms in a way that complements all of the other instruments and even the singers. In one song, I may play along with the piano, and I can do so because I learned music theory and understand that instrument’s capabilities. As the song picks up, I may switch over and mimic the bass drum patterns to make things feel really locked in. I can do this because I’ve studied rhythm patterns, have practiced percussion in order to know where the drummers are now and where they will be going as the song goes on. Finally, on the chorus, I may do a bit of my own thing and then hook into the melody of the singers to highlight what they are doing. It’s a complicated journey for a simple instrument.
Having those instincts and skills took time. I minored in jazz bass in college, and have played in many different styles of musical groups in my time as a musician. What do you want to be a rockstar in the back half of this year? Now is a great time to do a self-assessment of the goals that you set out for yourself at the start of the year and make adjustments to dial in the needed experience and learnings. Perhaps you’ve got the knowledge, but you could benefit from setting intentional time aside to hone your craft.
Enhance your leadership capability by being like the guitar – managing tension well, embracing your unique self, elevating those around you, and putting in the time and effort to play at the top of your capability.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
Find the full Be Series here
