Lead Like a Rock Star

Picture the scene; hundreds, if not thousands of people all with a shared purpose and passion. All raising their hands in unison to express that passion. There’s community, joy and catharsis happening that everyone present is involved in. 

The emotional connection means that this will ‘stick’ – the memory of this moment, the feelings that were stirred, will stay with everyone who experienced it. It’s not just about the sensory input – far from it. It’s about how it made us feel.

What was your first, or most memorable, gig? There are – as tenuous as it may seem – some great pointers in them for those of us looking to create that sense of unity, engagement, and inclusive energy in the workplace from this, too…

I See You…

Creating inclusion doesn’t always need a formal strategy. In gig terms, a quick “Thank you, [insert place name here]! We always love playing here…” or a “Who has seen us play before? Great to see you again! Who’s a first-timer? Welcome, we’re so happy to be able to play for you…” changes the entire band/audience dynamic. 

It’s gratuitous, they said the same thing in Birmingham last night, and everyone knows exactly what’s going on. And we collectively accept it and respond to it, because we love to feel seen, and appreciate the intent.  And if someone should break out a killer local fact that they couldn’t have used at last night’s gig? We’ll take them to our hearts and practically grant them keys to the city for doing their research.

How do leaders in your organisation ensure that people feel seen? What do you do to demonstrate a connection to people?

Getting involved

Those of us of a ‘certain age’, or who have seen the film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, will have witnessed a masterclass in involvement.  To this day, if you play ‘We Will Rock You’ by Queen with any gathering of people, things happen. Everyone who can clap, claps in unison. Everyone who can stamp, stamps. Arms are raised. Engineered to give people a way to be part of the music, it’s the perfect signal-and-response opportunity and we love it.

At your memorable gig, was there a moment where you were guided to clap, to sing, to sway, to light the torch on your phone (now that lighters are – wisely - not encouraged)? That invitation is to become a part of the experience, not just be a passive recipient. That’s powerful stuff when it comes to feeling engaged.

How often do we, as leaders, genuinely create that invitation? To become a part of an experience of being here, rather than just being a passive recipient of organisational culture?

(Cautionary word; when heavy metal band Slipknot tell everyone to crouch right down into a low squat for a solid couple of minutes of interlude before the instruction to “JUMP THE F*** UP!”, they need to remember the backs and knees of their demographic these days. As much as we loved the participation, we were not a ‘springy’ bunch…).

Gratitude

There’s an etiquette that is followed throughout a performance. The band play, the audience participate and enjoy, they then show their appreciation through applause, whistles and whoops, and the band acknowledge that appreciation with their own thanks to the audience.

It’s an incredibly positive cycle of overt appreciation. But when it’s lacking, it’s obvious. 

I’ve seen a few acts who have ‘lost’ their audience, and it’s always been because this cycle of gratitude has broken down. The band who made it their ‘thing’ to have no engagement or acknowledgement of their audience just confused and offended everyone. The artist who told his audience that it ‘wasn’t worth [his] time’ did the same.  “You’ve paid, I’ve played” was not sufficient and no-one was satisfied.

So, leaders. The big one. Beyond contracted reward, beyond impersonal recognition platforms, what rituals and expectations do you create and maintain that mean you and everyone in your organisation experience that cycle of gratitude and appreciation? How can you nurture that? What could a more overtly appreciative culture unlock?

There’s a lot to reflect on when we consider our impact in some of these less quantifiable and less tangible aspects of what someone experiences from us as a leader. Get in touch if you’d like to explore more in this area. But for now…

You’ve been a great audience, [insert place here]! Thank you!