Corporate managers at every level often draw inspiration from successful leaders in other industries. These unlikely influencers may exemplify many of the attributes we at Imprimis Group have found to be essential in corporate management and leadership:
- Authenticity
- Passion
- Vision
- Communication
- Listening
- Energy
- The Ability to Tell a Story
Few leaders in any field combine all of these attributes as well as Bruce Springsteen – and even fewer provide as relevant a skill set for corporate managers to emulate. If you haven’t had an opportunity to witness “The Boss” running the show, this short concert performance of “You Never Can Tell” will underscore the connections I am about to make with what we can all do in our offices. Note the subtle ways in which Springsteen directs his collection of musicians to cohere in perfect harmony – all while engaging the audience. It’s no small feat, but you can manage to do something similar!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-Ds-FXGGQg[/embedyt]
Indeed, Bruce Springsteen is a master of creative leadership. As a performer, he is especially useful to corporate managers because we can observe his qualities in action. Personifying leadership attributes can help us to better harmonize our own employees. So let’s benefit from Bruce:
Authenticity: Throughout his career, Springsteen has always maintained a deep sense of purpose and a consistent commitment to his core values. From his early days performing at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, he appealed to the self-made working man and rewarded the hardest workers in his own organization. He once said in an interview, “If you were powerful enough, you could be different, your own man. The nine-to-fivers, the straights, the high-on-Mama’s-and-Papa’s money frat boys would just have to eat it.” When we are guided by our deeply held core principles, our employees sense it and respect it. Authenticity makes us much more effective in getting people to follow our lead.
Well we made a promise we swore we’d always remember. No retreat, baby, no surrender. – from “No Surrender”
Passion: We are all incomplete in our talents and skill sets, and Springsteen willingly admits his own deficiencies. “My guitar accompaniment on acoustic was rudimentary, so that left the songs. The songs would have to be fireworks…” Think about your own gifts. When you bring them to bear with passion, your leadership strengths will overcome your shortcomings. Many of us spend more time focusing on improving our weaknesses, rather than accomplishing more – with more passion – by applying our greatest strengths.
Well I know I ain’t nobody’s bargain but hey a little touch-up and a little paint. – from “Human Touch”
Vision and Communication: To accomplish your vision as a manager, you need to communicate a purpose and a rationale for your collective work. This has to be done so effectively that people will believe in and work relentlessly in pursuit of your vision. Do your colleagues and direct reports believe in your vision? “The Boss” has worked with hundreds of musicians throughout his career, all of whom can clearly articulate the meaning and purpose of their collective work.
Listening: Effective managers and leaders acknowledge they are not the source of many (or most) of their department or organization’s greatest ideas. Nor do they intend to be the source. Their role is to help to build a culture of contribution and to actively listen to what talented people have to offer. While Bruce Springsteen has always set the creative direction for his band and embraced his role as the primary decision-maker, he has always listened to input. Listening has been instrumental in shaping the evolution of Springsteen’s music.
Ability to Tell a Story: “I’m on Fire” was about a man who wakes up with night sweats from obsessing about a woman. “Born in the USA” was about the hardships Vietnam veterans faced upon their return from war. Almost every Springsteen song tells a story from the vantage point of a character/narrator. Storytelling makes a theme resonant and memorable. Some say it’s a lost art in today’s music, as well as in business. But show us a great leader in any industry and we’ll show you a great storyteller. DFW has many, and we are fortunate to work with quite a few of them. This is a timeless skill that is not taught in business school.
Energy: This is the hallmark quality that distinguishes “The Boss” from all other musicians. It’s the reason why I embedded the video into this post. When you see the impact of energy from a leader on other members of an organization, there is no denying its power to galvanize and unify workers toward a common purpose and to captivate an audience.
Just as sure as you wouldn’t forget to bring your clothes to work, bring your energy. Bruce Springsteen does, every day.
After all, You can’t start a fire without a spark. – from “Dancing in the Dark.”