I love learning from people that we label as “non-traditional” leaders. Today’s AHA! comes from a man that inspires me to think and lead differently.
Meet…Boston Philharmonic’s
Benjamin Zander
Just imagine swapping leadership roles with him for one day. Would you lead differently if you were conducting an orchestra? Why?
I think the better question is…
How would you lead differently? What will you do starting today?
Here is my leadership Aha!:
1. Assumptions are roadblocks to innovation
Speaking on leadership and problem solving, Zander emphasized that everyone has options. “You can face problems with resignation, anger or possibility. These are all valid responses. You have a choice.” Choosing possibility isn’t always easy, he noted, but it will lead to excellence. It will also lead to a challenging of assumptions — and assumptions are often roadblocks to innovation.
2. To think out of the box: Ask yourself “What assumptions am I making”?
“Everybody wants out of the box thinking; the question is, how do you get it?” said Zander. “It’s very simple. You ask a question: What assumptions am I making that I don’t know I’m making?” The key to success inside an organization, he added, has to do with voicing these assumptions. “Every organization, every human endeavor, has to have someone whose job it is to notice what assumptions are being made … and [who] has permission to say so. Anybody from the bottom to the top should be able to speak about assumptions without fearing loss of any kind.”
3. Assume excellence!
In his teaching, Zander assumes excellence. He assigns each of his students an A at the beginning of the semester. Society treats A and B students differently, and students have unique reactions to their status as determined by grades, he pointed out. Giving the A on the first day of class sets a standard that students naturally strive to maintain, and exceed, Zander noted.
4. When you make a mistake say “How fantastic”!
When Zander’s musicians make a mistake, he teaches them not to give in to the voice of doubt or self-recrimination. Instead, he has instructed his students to say “How fantastic!” whenever they make a mistake. To Zander, this means throwing up one’s arms and exclaiming “How fantastic!” at top volume. His point: Every setback is an opportunity to learn. Every setback represents a world of possibility. “Education is not so much about the transference of information as the opening up of new categories,” Zander noted. “When you are educated in that sense, you are actually walking in a different world. The question becomes, ‘What are you going to do now?'”
5. Inspire your team members to themselves “How will I contribute today?”
Wouldn’t you love to work for someone that sees the possibility in you?
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