Some of my greatest moments in my life are remembered in songs. Some songs have a great beat that gets you tapping your feet every time you hear it. Another song might remind you of an event, a time and place, or someone very special to you. Music can make you laugh, cry and fall in love. I do not think I have ever met anyone who music has not had an effect on their lives at some point and time.
Leaders are like music. They have the ability to affect our lives in ways we never stop to think about. They have the power to shape our lives for success or failure. We always remember when we were led by a great leader.
Leaders set the tone in their organization and, like a great band director or conductor; through the values, they know how to create a flow in their organization that leads to success.
I do not profess to be a music genius, I am just a consumer of the end product, but I know there are three things that make a great song; the words, the instruments and the voices. And just as every great song has these three things put together to form a perfect melody, a great leader instinctively puts the parts of his/her organization together to create a perfect rhythm that leads to success.
The most important tool a leader has is his words. Words have power to motivate and encourage people to be their best and strive for excellence. It is through the words of the leader that organizations form the beat that the entire team marches to and when those words reflect positive values the results are positive on the bottom line.
The leader understands that his people are as unique and individual as the instruments in a symphony. Leaders understand that to effectively interact with their team they must be able to communicate with them as individuals and collectively as a collaborative unit. When a leader masters the art of transparency in their communications it strikes a tone that creates the environment to accomplish any task that is set before them.
Finally, the truly great leaders give their people a voice and listen to them. They understand that the people are the ones doing the jobs that lead to the success of the company. Leaders allow the people to speak without fear of condemnation or ridicule. The leader will listen intently to the ideas that move the company forward and arrange those ideas in a manner that leads to a harmony that everyone wants to sing.
Leaders set the tone through the values, and when that tone is positive everyone in the organization rises to perform at their best.
