Songs matter to people.
They identify with the lyrics, the tempo, and the history that songs represent. Songs are an unlikely incentive in a world filled with bling and glitzy rewards. Leaders who understand the power of song allow team members to select the vocals that best represent them. Team members find this reward unusually satisfying.
The venue for songs is expansive: Broadcasting to team members that a meeting break is over, background music as someone approaches the stage to speak, congratulatory music as a new team member is introduced to their colleagues, the theme song of a team receiving an award or recognition, celebratory music when a team reaches an important milestone, the welcoming melody that greets people as they enter a workplace or conference room.
Music can serve as a transition, a backdrop, or an announcement. Specific songs can add energy, create emphasis, or signal important meanings or values. Maybe that’s why people so look forward to selecting just the right song for the occasion.
Encouraging team members to select the song that best represents them or the moment doesn’t take much persuasion. Team members view the request to pick the right ditty as recognition for who they are and what they stand for. Songs serve as a theme for what they want to say to others, and the opportunity to do so is usually grabbed with relish.
Songs encourage the team to take notice of the rhythm their colleagues use to navigate the world. Good leaders know all too well the power of song for representing experience. They motivate others by letting them sing it.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
