When you read about a workshop that offers to help you build your skills around the principles of good leadership what images come to mind?
Personally I always think about someone in a power suit stood at the front of a small seminar room, rattling off from a boring power presentation.
It's all very very serious, well, because you know, we're talking about leadership, and if you want to be taken seriously as a leader then you have to be very very serious with no funny business involved insert stern looking face here. Please leave your smiles at the door people.
The only saving grace to these type of days is you get to look forward to being able to access that table that sits at the side of the room which has endless tea, coffee and chocolate hobnobs.
Then the dancing man came into my life.
"Who is the dancing man??" I hear you ask.
No, he isn't a guy sitting in that seminar who read my last post Dig Out Your Superhero Underwear And Let’s Dance! and decided he didn't want to listen to the power point and wear the power suit anymore, jumped on the table and started busting out some MC Hammer moves.
Although this would definitely make the day more interesting.
The dancing man is simply a bloke in a field at a festival who is dancing to the beat of his own drum, and in the process what follows below is three minutes in which the main principles of leadership are broken down and explained in a brilliant way. In my opinion, this video describes it better than any powerpoint could:
The reason I absolutely love this video, other than the fact I learnt about some core leadership principles, is for two main reasons:
It's a great example of how simply by looking at something through a different lens (in this example, a random dancing man) you can explain concepts and principles in memorable and fun ways. This really taps into the fact that we all learn information in different ways. For some, a power point with statistics and facts will be the best way that person takes in and retains knowledge, for others (like myself) something visual like a video with a story that I can attach the lessons and facts to is much more effective.
It's just a bloody brilliant clip of people loving life, dancing, not giving having a care in the world, and watching how that positivity spreads outwards to everyone else around. It never fails to make me smile (and I hope it brought a smile to your face too!).
Why am sharing this with you?
1.To highlight that if we are open to it there is so much we can constantly learn from everything and everyone around us, in all different types of situations and in lots of types of ways.
2. To acknowledge that if you're in a room with others all receiving the same information, you will also each most likely take and learn something different from it. For example, just from the video you may have:
Learnt a few things about leadership and ways to use that in your own life.
Reflected on how you personally find it best to take on new information and how you can incorporate these learning styles into your daily life.
Reflected on how people around you might best take on information and learn best, and how to perhaps change your approach when talking to them.
Gone onto youtube and watched the actual TED talk of this featured video. From that your interest was sparked and you went on to watch lots of other great TED talks that challenged your thinking about lots of different topics and issues
Noted down some new dance moves that you're going to drop on the dancefloor next time you're on a night out.
Thought it was a crap video and would pick a power-suit seminar any day over watching this kind of stuff.
Whatever you take from it, good or bad, there is a lesson to be learnt about yourself
or others!
3. Finally, linking back to last week's blog post, a guy simply doing his own thing and dancing in a field led to his own 'dance movement' occuring within less time than it takes for your kettle to boil. That in itself is pretty bloody amazing, particularly when that probably wasn't what he intended to do when he was performing his array of moves.
It demonstrates that by letting go and being yourself you unconsciously give off the message to others to do the same if they so wish, and the world is your oyster as to what can be achieved next!
*If you would like information on the Business & Life Coaching services that I offer please do go to my Coaching Services page or email me via my Contact page.
Angela
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