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 otherring 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.
Last week, we talked about the chaos of literal and figurative storms that happen in our lives. This week, we’ll take it to the other end of the water spectrum. Imagine being at a nice, calm lake where the water is glassy smooth. It’s quiet with the exception of a few birds singing their morning songs. You pick up a stone and toss it into the water. That distinct deep plop sound breaks the silence, and then the ripples begin to spread out and break the stillness of the water.
In many ways, that action and event mimics what we do in life. We are constantly throwing stones in the lake called Life.
What are the ripples that we make?
We make ripples every day in what we do by how we show up in our environments, and the choices that we are constantly making. At times, ripples can be those big “throw a giant rock in the water” events. For me, highlights from my career, including erasing the gender gap in leadership at multiple organizations, certainly fall into that category. Those types of moments can feel like a giant boulder hitting the water, impacting the land below, and ultimately changing the makeup of the lake forever.
Not all ripples are boulder-sized. Larger rocks may include items like a long weight loss journey, securing a sizeable budget for a project, or successfully wrapping up an educational achievement. Smaller ripples may include things like establishing a great working relationship with an individual, nailing a big test at school, or finishing that garden project in your backyard.
You are constantly causing ripples in your personal life, in your work environment, and even in those that you know and care about on a consistent basis.
Ripples require an intentional act
When I would camp with my son when he was in Cub Scouts, we always had a tradition of walking down to the lake first thing, and throwing and skipping rocks in the lake. He would go along the edge of the lake picking out the perfect rocks – flat and smooth rocks for skipping and large, heavy rocks to make a big splash. We’d then do our best to see how many skips we could get with a rock or how many ripples we could get with a big rock. As much fun as we had, none of it was by accident. We intentionally went to the lake. We sought out the right kinds of rocks. How we threw them in changed depending on what we wanted them to do. A fun and memorable moment filled from end to end with intent.
The biggest ripples will always come from intent. Think about some of the highlights of your career or best moments from your personal life. They likely are filled with intent as well. Some actions that can give you clarity and focus on creating impactful ripples include:
Set a clear goal of what you are trying to achieve – A strong point of reference and vision will help you in those tough and challenging times.
Focus on one or two things – Find those couple of actions “rocks” that you want to work on in order that make a difference. Focusing on too many things may result in very few or none coming into existence. Be sure that the thing that you focusing on is realistic to achieve.
Focus on consistency – Practice getting in the zone and becoming consistent in change actions or changes instead of trying to start off with something massive that can become overwhelming and ultimately prevent you from being successful. An example of this in your personal life may be to focus on eating one healthy meal a day instead of losing 10 lbs in a week.
Practice kindness and compassion to others and yourselves – It often takes a lot of effort to lift that big rock and drop it in the water to make a big splash. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it! Be sure to take time to check in with your team and working group as you work towards success. They’ll need reminders of the Why of the work and may need different or additional resources or help as time goes on. Don’t forget yourself along the way as well! Be kind to yourself and don’t be too hard on yourself as those setbacks come your way.
Areas to consider “tossing your rocks” in:
Social and community needs
Volunteering and impact
Your personal well-being and self-care
Impact on your business
Impact on the customer
Impact on your employees
A GPA goal in school
Graduating or completing the course in a certain timeframe
X number of achievements or recognition by graduation
Ripples don’t last forever
For better or worse, ripples don’t last forever. They become less pronounced as they move further and further away from the point of impact until they blend into the stillness of the rest of the water.
Poor decisions and impact: Thankfully, this illustration gives us hope in those times that we make poor decisions that have a ripple effect in our lives. Time certainly has a way of smoothing situations out, and in the workplace, there is likely a larger ripple that minimizes or even erases your ripple. When you make a poor choice ripple remember a couple of things: 1) That more than likely the impact won’t last forever, even when it stings today. 2) One wrong decision or action doesn’t stop you from learning and making a positive impact in the future.
For positive impacts: It feels good to be a part of something that makes a big impact and has a far-reaching ripple effect! For high performers, it’s often of of the types of assignments or work that they chase the most. When those moments come, it’s important to celebrate, but it’s also important to remember that you can’t ride that success forever. I can think of many impactful things I accomplished in my 10 years since Passing the Baton started, that people don’t remember anymore. In the fast-paced world that we live in, it may only take 10 months instead of 10 years for people to forget the impact and ripples that you made.
You can’t create just one ripple and expect long-lasting success. You’ve got to be intentional to keep tossing those proverbial stones that create consistent ripples of impact. Your portfolio of success will leave a lasting legacy, and you’ll help smooth out those mistakes and missteps in the process as well.
Stay intentional to keep making ripples that positively impact your work life and personal lifestyle. You have nearly limitless potential to make a difference in your community and in others in a life-changing way. Your ripples matter, so make sure that they are ones that you are proud of.
The flashes of light. The clap and rumble of thunder. Storms make themselves known as they begin to move through a community. You may associate storms with trouble or even a cleansing event. Much like challenges and trouble that makes its way into our personal and professional lives, sometimes you get an impending feeling of dread as you feel it approaching, or it happens suddenly out of nowhere. Today, we’ll look at storms and how they can influence how we lead ourselves and others.
Prepare for the storm, even in the sunny days
Last year, we had a really heavy storm roll through our community, dumping a month’s worth of rain in just a couple of days. It was so bad that we got water in our basement. We’d been in our house for a couple of years at that point and had never experienced this issue before. We did our best to mitigate the problem, and once we storm was over, I began investigating what led to the problem. What I found was a clogged gutter that had resulting in concentrated amounts of water overwhelming the corner of the house….. the area right above the basement where the water had come in.
It had been sunny and rain-free for quite a while before the storm came, and I never thought to check and clean the gutters. When the problem suddenly showed up, it was too late.
Sometimes when things are great, whether it’s in business or in our own personal lives, it can be easy to relish those moments and get comfortable. As I was reminded during my basement incident, the best time to prepare for a storm is when it’s sunny outside.
Areas to consider as you prepare for that next storm:
Work
Take time to audit your team and its processes. What’s running well and what needs need to be addressed to make things better or more efficient?
Check in on employee engagement and sentiment. How are people feeling? What are their thoughts on the future of the team and org? What is their trust level of their leaders?
Check in on costs and investments. Are things still healthy and true? What new investments need to be made and resources re-routed to better support the future?
Personal
How are those relationships with those that you care most about? Is there someone that you haven’t connected with in a while that you need to reach out to? Do you need to invest some quality time with a person?
How are you feeling emotionally, spiritually, and physically? Are there steps that you can take to raise your level of self-care and well-being?
How are finances and your sense of security? How prepared are you for an unexpected challenge or expense when it hits?
Communicate well with others during the storm
I have a love-hate relationship with storms. I enjoy a good downpour and even thunderstorms. It can be a calming experience or a great reminder of the power of nature, depending on the storm’s severity. I’ve also nearly had my life ended a few times due to storms, so there’s that!
I once camped with a group of scouts out at a farm in Louisiana in the springtime. We had seen that there was a potential for some rain, but nothing too bad was forecasted. That night, the storm really had picked up, and it was becoming pretty scary with just a nylon tent separating us from the violent winds and rain. We suddenly heard our scoutmaster yelling for us. “Leave everything behind, we are evacuating to the barn!” We quickly threw on rain jackets and ended up spending the night in the hay and dirt inside the big barn that was on the farm.
The next morning, we returned to our campsite to see that nothing was there. It was all gone! After searching for a while, we found all of our tents and gear tangled up in a fence nearly a half mile away.
Storms can be scary and overwhelming for people at times. When those moments happen, it’s an important moment for you as the leader to step up and help guide others.
Be clear, concise, and intentional – The scoutmaster didn’t beat around the bush. Get up, get out, and evacuate to the barn, was all that needed to be said in our instructions.
Be a steady voice for those who are unsure or frightened – People will likely look to you for reassurance during these troubling and concerning situations. Be transparent and share what you can with others, and be caring and empathetic once you are out of immediate danger.
Communicate well through your non-verbals – Whether you are leading people in a virtual environment or it’s an in-person incident, people will be watching you. Be mindful of your non-verbal communications during these times, to ensure you are presenting yourself that is reassuring to others.
The cleanup is never fun, but necessary
Cleaning up after a big storm is never fun. I can’t say that I enjoyed moving a bunch of stuff in my basement and then drying everything out after the big rain. Picking up all the rain-soaked and torn gear caught in the fence in my scouting days wasn’t among the funnest things I’ve done either. Regardless, both were necessary. Some areas to consider as you work through clean-up from any kind of storm include:
The people- You need to check in on your people during physical storms, but you also do so during those proverbial storms that happen in work and life as well. How are they handling things after the incident? What support do they need to get back on their feet?
Assessing the damage – What damage has been done outside of the initial incident that led to even more trouble that you can fix now?
Work example: The storm may be due to a layoff situation, but some more trouble and drama was caused because a leader did not handle themselves well as the process was rolled out.
Home example: An unexpected medical incident has happened to someone you care about. You handled the initial situation well, but the stress of the situation and the impending costs caused you to make some poor decisions that impacted you and others along the way.
One of my former pastors once shared a statement that has resonated with me to this day. “You are either coming out of a storm in life, you are currently in one, or you are heading towards one.” That’s just life. Learn and internalize those leadership and life lessons that come from the storms in life so that you are better prepared for when the next one happens.
We must do what they fear – tell the truth, spread the truth. This is the most powerful weapon against this regime of liars, thieves, and hypocrites. Everyone has this weapon, so make use of it. -Alexei Navalny
Alexei Nvalany grew up splitting his time between military bases in Russia and spending the summer in what’s now Ukraine. His worldview was influenced heavily growing up by several world events. First was the Chernobyl disaster and the impact that it had on his extended family and friends who lived in the area. Life on a military base influenced him – He saw firsthand the sacrifices that were being made in the Russian-Afghanistan war, and experienced shortfalls in provisions where his family struggled to get milk at times for his little brother. There was also the fall of the USSR and a glimpse into a new level of freedom that showed him what the possibilities could be for his community.
Alexei would grow up to be a great leader for the Anti-Corruption Foundation and would make headlines across the globe for his activism and drive to secure the Russian people the freedom that they desired.
He followed his convictions
There are few people in our current era who have led a life of conviction like Alexei Navalny. He was a man who saw the impact that a corrupt and power-hungry government had on its people. Alexei initially tried to make an impact as a lawyer and later ran for office, but truly found his calling as an advocate for reform using social media. He would commonly call out corruption of the highest-ranking officials and their associates.
In his words, his actions were driven by a few principles. “The best way to elect leaders is through honest and free elections. Everyone needs a fair legal system. Corruption destroys the state. There should be no censorship.” All of these things are easy to say, and easy to agree with in a free country, but extremely difficult to change in a place where those liberties aren’t already afforded to its people.
Alexei ultimately gave up everything to follow and stand by his convictions.
What do you believe in so much that it guides your actions? Think this week about those subjects and categories of things and evaluate:
What has changed over the years for you? Were there events or growth that evolved your view?
How have you advocated for yourself and others in those areas/
Are there opportunities to continue to grow or refine your convictions?
Your convictions will heavily influence, just as they did with Alexei, the legacy that you leave (or don’t) during your time on Earth.
He knew the danger and stepped up anyway
Alexei had at least two assassination attempts on his life. In 2017, he was sprayed in the face with a bright-green dye that was filled with unknown chemicals. He lost 80% of his sight in his left eye. In 2019, he was imprisoned and later sent to the hospital for severe allergic reactions in his eyes and skin. His personal doctor determined that he had come in contact with “the damaging effects of an undetermined chemical.” In 2020, a Russian group laced his underwear with a highly potent chemical agent and nearly succeeded in killing him. His flight was diverted as he became ill mid-flight and fell into a coma. It wasn’t until he was moved to Germany under the care of their best doctors that he began to make a recovery.
All of that happened in just three years.
Each attempt made him more passionate and determined to seek freedom for the Russian people. Sometimes we’ll be called to step up, and perhaps the threat or consequence will be much smaller than what Alexei faced, but it will still cause you to pause before taking that brave step forward. When the time comes and your inner voice is telling you to give up and walk away, remember your “Why”. Why are you leading like you are? Who are you representing? Who is counting on you? What are the implications if you do walk away? Sometimes getting re-grounded in your purpose helps give you that mental fortitude to keep pushing forward.
He kept a sense of humor even in the toughest of times
Alexei had a great sense of humor that shone through no matter how dire the situation was. You would think that after two confirmed assassination attempts, he would be pretty bitter. I know that I would be! He never lost that core cheerfulness of who he was. It can be seen in the documentary “Navalany” as he shares his story of tracking down the group that tried to kill him the second time. He’s also seen watching Rick and Morty on the flight back to Russia, where he knows that he will be immediately arrested and put in prison. In his book, Patriot, the second half of the book is a collection of letters he wrote from prison leading up to his death. He is in one of the worst prisons in the world, and he describes in funny detail the doctors, guards, and prison environment itself.
He refused to let a person or government steal his joy.
Humor is a great trait to infuse into your leadership (Show #44). It shows authenticity to those that you lead, makes you more relatable to others, and helps you not take yourself too seriously. Are you intentional in being light-hearted with yourself and others? Areas to focus on here include:
Find the humor in everyday things – Even when Alexei was moved to solitary confinement and “exercise time” was moved to 6.30 AM in the artitc, he found the humor in everyday things. He wrote about the silliness of the guards dressed up watching him in the cold, enjoying brisk walks in the small confined outdoor spaces, and what the guards and interviewers would talk about with him.
Focus on the positive – Knowing that his imprisonment length kept getting extended, he knew it would take the fall of the regime to get him out of prison. Despite a hopeless situation, he worked on his mindset to appreciate the small things that were going on around him, his interactions with others, writing his letters, and the rare chances to meet people he knew face to face. Thankfully, our situations aren’t this dire, but what a great reminder to seek out those positive things that happen around us, even in the hard times.
Understand when to leverage humor – Alexei was extremely witty and smart. Although his humor got him into trouble with the government on a number of occasions, he understood, especially in prison, how humor could be properly used. He still kept his humor with the guards and doctors, but kept the most witty things in his letters. Remember that there is a right and wrong time to lean into humor.
A few interesting facts
He convinced the government to establish an election process for the Mayor of Moscow. They agreed and in 2013, placed 2nd in the race. Although he did not win, it raised his prominence as an opposition leader in the country.
Navalny was a Yale World Fellow – a member of a prestigious program for leaders and policymakers.
He won multiple awards, including the European Parliament’s human rights prize; The Courage Award from the Geneva Summit for Human Rights; and the Dresden Peace Prize, among others.
His parents are basket-making factory owners, and he considered himself half Russian, half Ukrainian.
His lawyers were arrested, imprisoned, and charged with “participating in an extremist community” for passing on his letters and messages from prison to the public. Those letters make up the 2nd half of his memoir.
Alexei Navalny was a leader whom I greatly admired. He was a man who truly stood on his convictions and fought for the rights of the people of his nation. He truly lived his life as a leader and ultimately paid the price with his life because he refused to back down or give up. I highly recommend the Oscar-winning documentary Navalny as a starting point to dive into his story and his memoir, Patriot, as a further read. Below is a portrait of Alexei that is on display in our home, by Atlanta artist Fabian Williams.
The world keeps changing, and a clear indicator of that is the use of AI. What started out as an out-there Sci-fi concept has turned into a tool that your parents and maybe even grandparents know about and are using today. AI has had a monumental impact on the interview process. It can almost feel like a cat-and-mouse game, each side trying to outmaneuver the other. For those not in the game, it can make an intimidating process feel even more so. Today, we’ll help you think through AI and how you can leverage this tool successfully as you look to land your next role.
AI can help you prep for the interview
The bot that can kick out an anime version of yourself or tell a joke can actually be leveraged in a much more productive way when it comes to preparing for your next role. It’s a great sidekick that can polish (or even create) a resume and can be a sounding board for you as you prepare for a big interview.
What to do:
Research the company and plug that information into AI to build a frame of reference for your preparation
Consider leveraging AI to scan your resume and make suggestions on what to improve or what to tailor for the role that you are interested in.
Search to see if you can find what kind of interview questions the company asks. Use those questions with AI to help with interview prep. You can even practice your answers with it! Remember that AI isn’t totally unbiased, so take its feedback with that understanding.
For those who feel like they aren’t getting the responses and answers that they are looking for, consider researching or taking a class on AI prompts. How you enter your questions and commands makes all the difference in the effectiveness of the tool. For example, a prompt of “Ask me an interview question about customer service” may get you something being more specific will help you even more. “Give me an interview question about dealing with a customer service issue at ________ company. Pretend you are the hiring leader and ask the question like you are interested in how I react under pressure to meet a customer’s needs.”
When I used those two prompts, I received a generic customer service question. When I used the second prompt and with the company as Starbucks, it gave me a tailored question and included a scenario of a busy day where I had to take care of the customer while keeping the line moving.
Understand the organization’s rules on AI
It’s easy to say that the problem with the hiring experience falls on the company. Like many simple statements, this one is more complex than it seems. Most good companies don’t want to have a complex and challenging interview process. They prefer a simple, authentic, and enjoyable process for both parties. Companies are also combating their own candidate challenges: People interviewing on behalf of someone else, candidates abusing AI in the interview process to prop up their lack of experience, and even pretending to be someone entirely to get a job. Those issues and others have caused companies to react, and the result is an even less candidate-friendly process than before.
What to do:
Check the site for its AI policy around interviews. Companies are beginning to post their stance on the use of AI during the interview process, and some are even sharing what their own use of AI is in the process as well.
Many companies are adjusting their interview process, going back to in-person and on-camera interviews. If that’s the case, remember to check their dress code policy with the recruiter so you can match the culture of the organization.
In virtual interviews, be very mindful of how you are presenting yourself during the conversation. You don’t want to come off like you are using AI tools if the company forbids them for use.
Have a perspective on AI to share
While the topic of AI in the workplace is still evolving, it’s becoming a more common topic in the interview process. The interviewer may be interested in your thoughts, experience, or curiosity on the subject. It’s best to be prepared just in case.
What to do:
They may ask you if you used AI while applying. Be honest and share how you leveraged the tool.
Be ready to discuss the benefits and limitations of AI in the role that you are applying for and in general use that may apply to the company.
Take time to understand how AI models work. (It’s not as complicated as it may seem)
Show enthusiasm and curiosity about the subject. We are all learning it in real time together.
Avoid overstating your expertise and knowledge about AI.
AI has proven that it’s not just a tech fad that will soon fade away. Use it to help you along your journey, and be prepared to share about the topic with others so that they know you are a curious and forward-thinking candidate.
