In a world facing complex challenges, leadership has never been more needed. But leadership isn’t something that needs to be demonstrated only on a global or political arena. There are opportunities in everyday life, in each moment, to bring out own personal leadership to our families, businesses, communities and ourselves.
Being part of a community theater group for several months has been an opportunity to stretch out of my comfort zone. In 3 Leadership Lessons from The Dancing Queen, I shared about my love of musical theater and my lifelong desire to be part on stage singing my heart out. The “Dancing Queen” musical took months of rehearsal, learning our lines and choreography. The production saw 30 people, most of whom I didn’t know (with the exception of my daughter, who is in the show with me), go from being friendly strangers to being encouraging team members and inspirations to one another.
Here are 3 MORE leadership lessons I learned from our production, “Dancing Queen,” to help you bring more joy and confidence to your leadership tool box!
1. Stay Present and Surrender
It’s been a stretch out of my comfort zone to take on a totally new experience and put on an evening of dancing, singing and acting. In those moments when I have felt confronted or confused, my logical brain races out of the moment to the future. A zillion questions start to swirl demanding answers like, “How will I ever learn to get this dance step right?” or “Will this show be a hit or a flop?”
I’m all for making a plan and trying to map out what you want to have happen in the future. As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
But one of the most important ways to achieve your future goals is to stay in the present moment. The future can only ever be an outcome of the innumerable micro-choices we make from one present moment to the next. The Dancing Queen was an ongoing invitation to practice surrender and just go with the flow of the group, the music and the director’s vision. Sometimes the best laughs came out because of a creative impulse that was born from being in the moment with each other on stage.
Successful leaders are the ones who can find that balance of knowing the direction they want to go with letting the magic and power of the present moment reveal important opportunities and strengths that will help them get there.
2. Resonate Fully
The Dancing Queen journey reinforced the importance and magnetic power of presence and energy. Delivering a line technically accurately but without heart won’t move the audience. We evolved as a cast, learning not just the right dance moves or blocking, but learning how to bring our full energetic commitment and resonance to the performance. When I allowed myself to become more vulnerable and deliver from that more unguarded place is when my performance started to take off.
As a leader, you cannot move others if you’re not willing to be moved yourself. When your heart connects deeply with your purpose, you can’t help but resonate fully. Your enthusiasm and passion becomes contagious.
3. Celebrate Fully
In any venture, there will always be new things to try, decisions to make and doubts to overcome. The best balm to soothe a ruffled ego or a cautious performance was celebration. We celebrated our efforts. We celebrated the different talents, skills and individual quirks we each brought to our characters and to the show as a whole. We celebrated our determination to put on a great show even when we forgot the lyrics or messed up the choreography.
To be a great leader means remembering the importance of acknowledging the decisions and efforts that got you to where you are now. It can be so easy in this achievement-oriented and fast-paced world to want to move ahead and just cross the next thing off on the endless “to do” list. Whether you’re running your family, a business or championing a cause, it’s vital to celebrate you and those working with you each step of the way. It’s a real blessing to connect with like-minded folks and embark on a journey together. Remember to take time to celebrate your brilliance.
STEP INTO YOUR BRILLIANCE
Take 15 minutes to reflect on which lesson was most resonant for you. What can you do to stay connected to the power of the present moment? How can you connect and lead from your heart with even more vulnerability and resonance? How can you celebrate yourself and your courage and brilliance more consistently? How can you celebrate those around you? Journal about your answers to these reflective questions. When you’re done, come up with at least one specific action step you can take to get up on your energetic stage and take the spotlight this week!
