Yesterday my daughter and i joined a packed Artscape to hear Benjamin Zander talk about the Art of Possibility Not only does he know about the of performance, he showed in his dynamic presentation the difference between motivational speaking and the ability to evoke a transformation into the almost fourteen hundred strong audience.
Zander is best known as the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic orchestra but with extroadinary energy he is also in much demand around the world as a speaker on leadership, music and creativity. For around 2 and a half hours and at almost 70 years of age he delivered an experience I would not liked to have missed. Here’s a brief summary.
You have to take a risk
People think making a mistake is the worst thing you can do. However, only through mistakes can we see where we’re lacking, where we need to work. But we hate mistakes so we play it safe. Yet long term nothing could be more dangerous if our goal is to be insanely great at what we do. Zander suggests that instead of getting so dejected by mistakes, we instead exclaim loudly (or to ourselves) “How fascinating!”every time we make a mistake. Think about that. Another mistake? How fascinating! Another opportunity to learn something just presented itself. Another unlucky break? No worries! Move forward.
Give someone an A
Zander suggests awarding the A symbol at the outset of an assignment aligning teacher with student, manager with staff etc and in this way bring people together under a common purpose. The awarding of the A kindles a respect, a joy and a sense of positive application in family, workplace and the community.
It’s not (always) about success/failure, it’s about contribution
Rather than asking questions such as “Will I be appreciated?” or “Will I win them over?” and so on, ask “How can I make a contribution?”
“We are about contribution, that’s what our job is … everyone was clear you contributed passion to the people in this room. Did you do it better than the next violinist, or did he do better than a pianist? I don’t care, because in contribution, there is no better!”
The real power is in making others powerful
Zanders decisive moment came when after 20 years of conducting he cam to the realisation that as a leader and conductor, he didn’t make a sound, and that his job was to make the members of his orchestra powerful. the same applies to all leadership and replaces the autocratic style of long ago.
Don’t take yourself so seriously! (Rule No 6)
“Lighten up,” Says Zander, “and you lighten up those around you.” This is not to suggest that you shouldn’t take your work seriously (you should), or even that you shouldn’t take yourself seriously (that may depend on time and place), but for absolute certainty we must all get over ourselves. There is perhaps no better way to “get over ourselves” than the use of humour.
One buttock playing
When musicians truly get into the music and play it with such heart and emotion that audiences are moved beyond words, Zander noticed that the music was flowing through the musicians, taking control of their bodies as they swayed from side to side. Zander, then, urges musicians to become “one-buttock players,” that is to let the music flow through their bodies, causing them to lean and to move from one buttock to the other. If you’re a musician, or making a performance of virtually any kind, and you are totally in the moment and connecting with the language of the music and the audience, there is no way you can be a “two-buttock player.” You’ve got to move, you’ve got to connect, and you must not hold back your passion but instead let the audience have a taste of the commitment, energy, and passion you have for the music (or the topic, the ideas, etc.).
