Throughout human history, artists have been used – practically – to serve the institutions that held authority, bringing “emotional truth” to established principles. But in our new global society there is no institution that guides us and is capable of speaking with authority to the majority of the population. Markets have replaced government, religion, and other institutions as the regulating force and as the highest authority; and markets do not converse in a human language. This radical change in the structure of the world pushes us toward creativity; it asks us to rethink who we are and who we can become as human beings. It may be that the artist in each of us has an unprecedented opportunity to lead the way. For art, after all, is about “reorganizing” ourselves, creating surprising juxtapositions, emotional openings, surprising presences, flight paths to the eternal.
Benjamin and Rosamund Zander. The Art of Possibility.
Two shoe sellers are sent to a remote region to explore new markets. As soon as they arrive, the first salesman sends a telegram with the following message: “No hope. People don’t wear shoes here.” The second salesman sends a very different telegram: “Incredible opportunity. People here still don’t wear shoes.” The circumstances are identical for the two salespeople. What is important, therefore, is not the circumstances, but what the salespeople say and the way they express it. In his words, the former chooses to plunge into a “downward spiral”, while the latter bets on a “possibility that radiates positive energy”. This is the metaphor that Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, opens a brilliant conference on leadership that took place at the last edition of the Davos Economic Forum. The starting point is this: after 75,000 years, the old style of leadership – top-down, hierarchical, conservative and masculine – has been exhausted, and we must be able to apply an entirely different model, based perhaps on the creativity and personal contribution of the artist in all of us.
Two different worlds
Benjamin Zander’s thesis is that there are two completely separate worlds: the world of the downward spiral and that of radiating possibility. In the first, there can be success or failure, because everything depends on luck. In the second, on the other hand, possibility is the norm; there is no success or failure: the only thing that matters is the contribution we make day by day. Every time we open our mouths we have the opportunity to become authentic leaders: we can bet on one of the two worlds with our words, our gestures and our attitude. For Zander, the role of the leader is precisely to recognize the existence of the downward spiral, and then to drag people into the world of possibility. The world of the downward spiral is a fixed scenario, and therefore it is full of competition, domination, control and hierarchy. Therefore, it is the world of “you must do” and “you have to get”, of guilt, threat and failure. The fundamental element is the achievement of money, fame and power. The world of radiating possibility is the world of vision, the world of creative energy. In the face of command and control, this is the world of questions: what if…? What is coming next? The essence of this world is contribution and added value.
It is about ceasing to see only the obstacles and begin to visualize the possibilities that the world offers. The existence of these two worlds does not depend on the situation in which we find ourselves because, in the words of Zander:
There is no recession so big that it is capable of nullifying the possibility, and there is no wealth, power or fame so great that it is capable of protecting you from the downward spiral. It is not the circumstances that make the difference. We are the ones who have the opportunity to choose between the two options.
The key is passion
A leader’s job is to awaken possibility in other people. But how do you know if you’re getting them? Very simple: by looking into the eyes of your collaborators. After 20 years of successful experience as a conductor, Zander realized that he appeared on the covers of his albums, yes, but in reality he didn’t contribute a single sound to the recordings. In other words, his power lay in the ability to make other people – the musicians in the orchestra – powerful. And he thought, how can I know if I’m doing it right? He found the answer in the sparkle in his musicians’ eyes. If his eyes were shining with passion and energy, then he was doing it right. And if they weren’t, there was only one question to ask: who am I being, how am I being that my musicians’ eyes don’t shine?
Three answers in life
For everything in life there are 3 answers, and it is up to us to choose. The first is to do nothing; to think: “That’s life. There’s nothing I can do.” It’s the response of resignation. The second response is to get angry at what happens; to think, “How stupid these people are, who only know how to do this stupid thing.” It’s the response of anger. And, fortunately, there’s a third response, which is to get up and lead the orchestra; to try to change things with your daily contribution. This is the response of possibility.
Not taking yourself too seriously
Two presidents of government are arguing in an office and, suddenly, a really angry person enters, screaming, hitting everything. The president of the host country says: “Remember rule number 6.” Instantly, the angry person calms down and leaves. After a few minutes, the two presidents continue talking and a new person bursts into the office full of anger. He shouts, insults, kicks the furniture. The host president, without losing his calm, tells him: “Remember rule number 6.” The person calms down immediately. The president of the foreign country, totally intrigued, asks his colleague: “What is that magic rule that manages to appease people?” And the host answers: “Rule number 6 is very simple: Remember not to take yourself too seriously.” With this image, Zander reminds us that sometimes problems come because we think that everything we do or say is fundamental; because we believe that our lives depend on each of our decisions. And that fills our actions with tension and anxiety.
Thinking outside the limits
Out-of-the-box thinking has its origin in the resolution of a simple problem: we have 9 dots that form a kind of box, and the challenge is to join them all in 4 strokes in a row and without lifting the pen from the paper. The only way to achieve this is to draw outside the limits of the box of dots. In other words, to find the solution to the problem we need a new perspective that is outside our traditional limits and assumptions. Normally, we can’t connect the dots because we make all the strokes inside that box. No one has told us that we can’t get out of there, but we have assumed it that way. And that prevents us from finding the solution. As Zander explains, today everyone wants to “out-of-the-box thinking”. But how do you manage to think outside the limits? Zander believes that two key questions need to be asked: “What assumptions am I making that I don’t realize I’m making, and that result in what I now see? And then, “What can I invent that I haven’t yet invented that will result in something completely new? If we always question our assumptions, we automatically move toward possibility.
Eliminating anxiety and taking risks: the starting point is an outstanding
Zander explains the problems he had with his students, especially the younger ones. They were very competitive, and they were so anxious to achieve their goals that they could not give the best of themselves. They did not let go, and they were not able to enjoy playing, something that is essential for a musician. Something similar happens in the field of organizations: the pressure to achieve the objectives set prevents us from taking risks, and seriously hinders our ability to change and innovate. Zander came up with a very simple method to eliminate anxiety. He told his students: “I’m going to give you all an A. The only condition is that you have to write a letter now as if you were at the end of the course, saying why you got the A, explaining what you did to achieve it.” From that moment on, the students became the person they had defined in their own letters. In other words, they became the best version of themselves. They got rid of pressure and anxiety and managed to give the best of themselves by enjoying themselves. That’s why Zander’s method is that, as a starting point, we give everyone an A. Only then can we see the best version of people.
Apologize for not being able to excite people
On one occasion, Benjamin Zander conducted a great concert in which an extraordinary musician was playing. The seats were completely sold out. Many people who had come from far away had to stay outside. Just before starting, Zander took a look around the hall and saw that there was a row of empty seats. His students had not come to the concert, even though they had reserved their tickets. They had preferred to stay in the mall. Zander flew into a rage, and he decided to settle the score the next day. “What stupid kids, who missed this concert just to walk around a shopping mall,” he thought. When he got home from the concert, he told his colleague – and co-writer – Rosamund what had happened. And she told him, “You have to apologize.” Zander didn’t understand the meaning of these words until just before he entered class. There he understood. “Forgive me, guys, for not having explained to you well enough how wonderful that concert was,” he told them. It is the responsibility of the leader to motivate and enthuse his collaborators. If people don’t do what you want them to do, you can always apologize, because you have not managed to stimulate, motivate and convince them. These apologies are very different from the guilt and threat, typical of the previous leadership model.
Leaders do not doubt their vision
Can anyone imagine that when Martin Luther King said “I have a dream,” he really wasn’t sure? What kind of leader would he be then? Leaders don’t doubt for a moment their ability to turn their dreams into reality. The leader is able to recognize the downward spiral, but he has the ability to lead people to radiating possibility. It’s a simple task but not an easy one, because the spiral has the power of gravity. The words that come out of your mouth make all the difference, because possibility is always just a sentence away, no matter how harsh the circumstances. Zander’s teachings are particularly relevant in these moments of crisis. When faced with unknown problems, the important thing is that we don’t get stuck in the world of difficulties, and realize the multiple life possibilities that surround us. To do this, we only have to accept that it is in our hands to change the notion of what is possible.
You can watch the video with Benjamin Zander’s full lecture.
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