John Baldoni's Blog

What goes through an executive’s head when they need to make an important decision and communicate it to a live audience?

What should the executive say? How shall he present his ideas? What tone should she strike? Should the executive raise past disagreements? Or should they open the door for future and more positive relations?

These are the questions that we see Aleksander Čeferin wrestle with as he considers his speech to fellow members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the media in the wake of the breakup of the nascent Super League. Ceferin allowed a camera crew to document his thinking process as he prepared for this speech in Montreux, Switzerland, in April 2021. The scene is part of the 4-part documentary series Super League: The War for Football, airing on Apple TV+.

The backstory

The series is a fascinating inside look at the business of football and the powers that control the sport. The series gives voice not only to the owners of the football clubs but also to the fans who are passionate about the sport. Ceferin, a lawyer by training from Slovenia, is the pivotal figure in the series. Opposite him is Andrea Angelli, head of Juventus FC and part of a legendary family of automotive industrialists. Angelli, a one-time friend of Ceferin, is a key figure, along with the owners of two Spanish clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, trying to create this “super league.” The issue is, of course, money. The big clubs want more and more because their clubs generate the most income. The smaller clubs want to remain solvent. Adding to Ceferin’s issue is his perceived betrayal by his one-time friend, Andrea Angelli.

So what Ceferin will say in his speech is essential. Will he take a hardline, or will he open the door to the clubs that sought to break away? His reasoning is statesman-like. He needs the support of the major clubs to fund the efforts of UEFA, an association of some 55 countries and hundreds of professional clubs at every level. At the same time, he must provide leadership to the lesser-earning clubs whose solvency – as well as the future of the sport itself – depends on competent and professional leadership.

What to say and why

The lesson for senior leaders is that what you say matters. You may be roiling inside over a slight – real or imagined. You represent not merely yourself or your feelings but the present and future of the organization. To align your priorities with your feelings, here are some suggestions.

Know your mission. Any presentation is fundamental to knowing what you want to say and why you are saying it. Important presentations must complement the work that the organization does.

Know your values. What we stand for is integral to such presentations. Highlight what your organization believes in as a throughline for your narrative.

Act with grace. When tempers are frayed, leaders argue their point, but they take the high road. When speaking after tough negotiations, address your rivals as colleagues. With the three breakaway clubs, he took a hard line. 

You are making the right choices in what you say matters. Ceferin took a firm stance toward the breakaway clubs and, in doing so, maintained the unity UEFA needs to succeed. That said, the concept of the Super League is not dead; it will remain an issue for years to come.

The same applies to leaders. Major decisions determine the future of the enterprise. More findings about important issues will continue to arise, and how an executive handles them will measure their leadership.

First posted on Forbes.com 3.01. 2023

“The research on mentoring is clear. Those who are mentored, out-earn and outperform those who are not. They make higher salaries, get promoted more often, have greater job and career satisfaction and lower rates of burnout. For organizations that invest in mentoring their employees, they benefit from higher productivity and greater loyalty.”

As stated in the above press materials for The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring: A Complete Guide to Effective Mentoringby Dr. Ruth Gotian and Andy Lopata, the case for mentoring’s usefulness is quite clear. The challenge is implementing programs where mentoring can be accessible, equitable and measurable.

Running a Mentoring Program

Initiation and maintenance of mentoring typically belong to three functions: human resources, leadership and development and volunteer efforts. In all three, it is important to select the right mentors and match them with candidates seeking mentoring. It will not always work, but if the program is rigorous, good matches will follow.

Additionally, mentoring programs can embrace “the outside world,” finding mentors and mentees from outside the organization. The authors call this “cross-pollinating.” 

As the authors write, “Bringing together mentors and mentees from different worlds can increase the range of ideas brought to challenges.” Outside perspectives help mentees break through established “ways of doing things” and open new avenues of discovery and growth.

Mel Noakes co-founded a free mentoring program called Elevate with Max Fellows. Noakes told the authors. “By going outside your organisation, you gain trust and confidence that you can be honest, that your reality isn’t going to lead to challenges internally. Additionally, we find that internal mentoring within the same organization can become very tactical and transactional.”

The relationship

Mentoring is founded on a relationship founded upon trust. As such, trust is earned. The authors quote Megan Reitz co-author of Speak Up who says, “If you [the mentor] are distracted, impatient, frustrated, bored or judgemental you will silence the other person and so creating an open environment is less about trying to fix the person who is remaining silent, telling them to be braver, and more about creating an environment where they don’t have to be so brave in the first place.” In other words, if you are mentoring – or being mentored – you need to be attentive, focused and engaged.

The Mentoring Check

The book’s conclusion adds insight into checking yourself as a mentor.

The first step in becoming a more effective mentor is self-reflection. We encourage you to review your existing mentoring relationships, whether formal or informal. What kind of difference – or benefit – are you delivering to your mentee? “Remember,” the authors write, “mentorship knows no boundaries; it’s about sharing and uplifting others.”

Mentees also need to evaluate their learnings. “The mentor–mentee relationship is a two-way street,” write the authors. “And it’s crucial that you receive the support you require to continue your growth and development.” Mentoring can also be a community effort. Receiving support from more than one mentor.

Mentoring is an investment in the future that benefits both those who receive it and those who give it and in return organizations benefit.

Note: The authors provide a handy self-assessment for those who want to test their mentoring skills at ftmentoring.scoreapp.com

First posted on Forbes.com 6.042024

Every leader will have to eat crow at some point or another. They will have to acknowledge a wrong decision and its consequences.

How to do it is essential, so I recommend watching one of the very last scenes of the Danish political drama, Borgen: The Power and the Glory. In this scene, Birgitte Nyborg, the central character in this long multi-part drama acknowledges her missteps. (For fans of the series, I will avoid spoilers and focus on behaviors universal to leadership communications.)

By way of background, Birgitte (played by Sidse Babett Knudsen) is now Foreign Minister (having once been Prime Minister) and is looking perhaps for a way back to the top job. The series focuses on drilling for oil in Greenland, a Danish protectorate that is resentful, to say the least, of its colonization. At a party conference, Birgitte must address her party, one she helped to form, and under the parliamentary system, it is a senior member of the ruling coalition.

Be honest

When Birgitte takes the stage, there is an air of skepticism. She is battling issues of trust; in a way she is competing with the image of her former self. “Pride,” wrote the Catholic monk Thomas Merton, “makes us artificial, and humility makes us real.” Of course, one must be proud of one’s leadership ability, but when that pride overshadows mistakes, it is time to take stock. And in her speech, Birgitte does just that.

Acknowledge roots. Let the audience know the shared past. A senior leader is part of the culture. They are rooted in the vision and mission. More importantly, they share the same values. Remind the audience of what you and the audience believe and why it is essential. The mission is what the organization does. It is a roadmap for the vision. Reminding people of their mission and what they need to do is essential.

Admit mistakes. Sometimes crises occur because leaders fail. Either they plunge into ventures based on false assumptions, fail to keep abreast of trends, and then get bushwhacked by something unexpected. Sometimes leaders put people into management positions that are above their capabilities. When there is a failure, the leader must step to the fore and admit the mistake.

Make amends. Discuss what specific actions you will take to rectify the situation. Own the problem and enlist others in helping you find the right solutions.

Shine the light on others. Leader accomplishes little by themselves. Their role is to shepherd the forces to achieve the mission. Cite the achievements of the team. Tell hero stories about how people have achieved results against the odds. 

Call to action. A speech that calls for unity must ask something of its audience. The “ask” can be to continue what they are doing, but often it means going the extra step. Not working harder, but working differently. Call for people to work together for a common cause and collaboratively share ideas and action steps. 

Leadership moment

Crisis reveals character, and those leaders who face adversity head-on are those who are worthy of our followership. Critical to gaining trust is admitting mistakes and making amends. Leaders who do that demonstrate dispel the air of invincibility in favor of the cloak of vulnerability. Humility is essential.

Bram Stoker, the creator of Dracula, said, “We learn from failure, not from success!” That aphorism applies not only to fictional characters but also to living, breathing leaders responsible for the organization’s future and the people in it.

First posted on SmartBrief.com 8.01.2022

Simplicity is often regarded as the Holy Grail within design circles. Striving to ensure that form follows function is a mantra that, while stated but not always practiced. Too often, a project that begins with the simplest of intentions ends up hopelessly complex. Camels—so the joke goes—were designed by a committee.

No less challenge is the desire for simplicity in human relations. Yet, since all of us are different, and the permutations among us seem infinite, striving for simplicity may be a fool’s errand. Or not. While one size does not fit all, those in charge of getting things done can make simplicity their mantra.

How? By the way they behave. And here is where the desire for human connection makes the most sense. We all, or most of us, do want to be connected to others. We seek to be understood, appreciated, and loved even. That is where simplicity enters in three ways: head, heart and spirit.

Let’s take them one at a time.

Head is rationality. Leading with our minds leads us to consider what others want. It means we must deliver conditions for them to succeed. With such logic, leaders know they must set expectations, communicate them, support the work effort, insist on accountability, and acknowledge the results. Within these steps, accountability is essential. The leader sets the tone and follows through.

Heart is emotionality. Leading with our hearts challenges us to deliver what others want. Knowing what other want is not the same as practicing it. And that’s where the heart comes it. We feel compelled to act. Not because we have to, but because we want to. We genuinely desire to see others succeed. It enriches us as much as it does them.

Spirit is transcendent. Leading with the spirit provokes us to meet another’s aspirations for something better. Purpose is the driver because it challenges individuals to find their purpose. Within an organizational construct, the leader abides by the purpose of ensuring that everyone understands it. 

Know thyself

What has been described are the leader’s responsibilities for simplicity, but there is something else. First, the leader must understand herself. She knows her purpose and how her purpose complements the whole. Such alignment between the intrinsic and extrinsic purpose may not always be possible. Organizations do not fulfill our every need. We as humans must find our purpose and act on it. Ideally, what we want to do personally can match our work, but we know it does not. Understanding that dichotomy is essential to self-knowledge.

The defining purpose for ourselves can be a journey. It is often an awakening for others, a realization that this is what I was born to do. For others, purpose is revealed in their work, acknowledging that I am doing what I should be doing. It is fulfilling. 

“Life,” said Confucius, “is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Yes, it is but striving for simplicity requires time to discover and a lifetime to practice.

First posted on Forbes.com 11.12.2021

We like to think of CEOs as creatures of success, but doing so misses the bigger picture.

It takes hard work, determination, and the ability to connect with others to be considered for the top slot. But, once attained, the pressure to perform intensifies. David Novak knows all about this challenge; he was the CEO of YUM Brands for ten years. He had his share of successes, but now that he is retired from that position, he focuses on something else: developing new leaders through his coaching, podcasting and his leadership consulting.

His newest book is, Take Charge of You: How Self-Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Your Career, co-authored with Jason Goldsmith, and it’s an inside look (okay, pun intended) about what it takes to know yourself so you can perform at your best. In the book and an interview with Emily Bobrow at the Wall Street Journal, he is candid about his shortcomings. “I was too in love with my own idea, and I moved too fast on it,” he says about a product he introduced at PepsiCo, Crystal Pepsi. “10 Worst Product Fails of All Time,” noted Time magazine.

That hiccup did not hinder his progress. When Pepsi spun off its restaurants, Novak became its president and, in 1999, its CEO. Before he stepped down in 2016, both Barron’s and Harvard Business Review had named him one of the best CEOs globally. Still, Novak says, “People know how you’ve gotten your success, but they don’t know how you failed along the way.”

Self-coaching process

In an interview with me, Novak said, “I have self-coached myself throughout my career. Part of that is understanding you are who you are.” Self-improvement is possible. “You should work on being a lot better, but you cannot be somebody else.” 

Essential to success is finding purpose. “The key to finding your purpose is to unlock what it is that, that gives you passion, what it is that gives you joy, what it is that  makes you happier as you pursue what your goals might be in your life.” For this reason, Novak and co-author Jason Goldsmith included exercises for self-discovery in their new book.

Purpose should include a term Novak calls a “joy builder.” “There’s a reason why people say you should love what you do. If you love what you do, [the saying goes], you’ll never have to work another day in your life… When you love something, you want more of it; you can’t get enough of it. And that makes you a better learner.” Joy does not preclude hard work and when you love what you do, working hard reinforces the notion that you are fulfilling your purpose.

Assisted self-coaching

“When you coach yourself, it doesn’t mean that you exclude others,” says Novak. “What it means is you understand who you are, where you want to go, what your single biggest thing is next in your life. Then you develop an action plan to get there.” Once that plan is developed, then you “go find the ‘assistant coaches’ who can help you get there.”

One person Novak sought feedback from was Warren Buffet. “He encouraged me to talk about the things that could go wrong in the business, as well as the things that were great. And he said that would engender more trust with investors.” Novak followed this advice closing his generally positive presentations with one or two things that could go wrong. Investors appreciated this straight talk and, upon occasion, would downplay the negatives themselves.

Dealing with adversity

Setbacks are part of life. Novak says it’s important to address them and shift the mindset from “not” to “not yet.” For example, if you have a goal in which you fall short, you shift from “not accomplished” to “not yetaccomplished.” Experience teaches us lessons as well as humility. “You don’t know it all because… you do make mistakes, and you learn from those mistakes.”

Gratitude is a good buttress for moving forward. “We make our best decisions when we’re grateful and our worst decisions when we’re angry and tired and resentful. It’s so important to move yourself up that mood elevator and get into that state of gratitude.”

Reinforcing the sense of gratitude is taking inventory of your accomplishments, something Novak calls “personal highlight reel.” Sometimes you can reinforce those highlights with objects – photographs, awards, plaques – that you can put in a place of honor, which Novak says, referencing a term his father used, as a “love me” corner.

“You are never as good as you think you are or as bad as you think you may be,” goes an old saying. I would add that you can get better if you are willing to take a hard look at yourself, admit your shortcomings, and focus on what you do well to become even better.

First posted on SmartBrief.com 3.24.2022

What do employees value most about their companies? According to a recent McKinsey & Co. study, the top three reasons are:

·      Valued by the organization,

·      Valued  by their manager, and a

·      Sense of belonging.

And not far behind is the need for “having caring and trusting teammates.”

When one or more of these four elements are missing, employees are tempted to look elsewhere. As Tiffani Bova, a global technology evangelist with Salesforce, writes in Fast Company, “The writing is on the wall: Investing in your people starts and ends with listening to what they value most about working for your organization.” Ms. Bova, the author of the best-seller Growth IQ, adds, “creating a culture in which technology can be viewed as an impactful teammate means more human interaction and engagement from your entire organization.”

Having the right tools in the right hands is essential—but as the McKinsey survey that Ms. Bova cites—it comes down to people connecting to people, that is, “relational skills.” Invest in them.

Investment takes the shape of technology that enables people to understand their jobs better and remain in close contact with colleagues, especially when working remotely. There is another element, however, that offers real differentiation. 

More than a place to work

Regard your workplace as a community. Communities by nature are places where people feel they belong. It is more than a place to work; it comes a place to be.

Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest, has taken the sense of community to new heights with the organization he founded in East Los Angeles in the late-Eighties. It’s called Homebody Industries, and its purpose initially was to employ ex-gang members. 

What binds the community together, as Father Boyle writes in his newest book, The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness, “Homeboy is a place of grace and chaos—where joy is always waiting in the wings.”

Homeboy Industries, now the largest gang intervention program globally, is where men and women who have led lives of crime—most often because they were victims of abuse and abandonment——can feel a sense of belonging. “It is only belonging, and not mere inclusion, that fully arouses bravery in others. You start with a broken heart and remove what encases it.” Doing such takes great courage and what homie calls “tenderoni” – love, compassion and tenderness.

What Homebody teaches

The lessons of Homebody Industries show the power of caring. And as such, it can teach other organizations, which have far more advantages, powerful lessons.

Lay down your baggage. Each of us is an accumulation of successes as well as failures. We have our quirks and our moods. When you belong to a community, you are not your resume. You become a fellow contributor.

Find ways to work with people, unlike yourselves. It is not uncommon for homies who once belonged to rival gangs to work together. It is never easy, but within the Homeboy, culture learning to get along is vital to becoming a whole person. 

Build trust by showing trust. Of course, we want others to trust us, but how often do we wait for the “other person” to make the first move. Better to show others who you are first. Be open with them. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

Respect is fundamental to each step and essential to building a solid community. We reinforce respect through our actions—-assisting, listening, and caring.

Doing these things make colleagues feel wanted, recognized and respected. Just as we may receive in return.

First posted in SmartBrief on 3.04.2022

“In those summers at camp I began to learn to push past exhaustion and to think on my feet, and to become slowly aware that weariness and exhaustion were the twin sirens of the theatrical deep. Let them take over and they will rob one of courage and the ability to improvise in a crisis, for stamina in the long run is as necessary as an adjunct to success in the theatre as talent itself.” 

So wrote Moss Hart in his memoir, Act One. Hart, one of 20th century theater’s most successful playwrights and directors, learned his craft through hard work. In this passage, it was a stint at Camp Utopia, where he was social director and responsible for entertainment, that he learned how to get past fatigue as a matter of doing his job.

Hart also learned, as he writes in a preceding passage, “that talent by itself is not enough, even an authentic and first-rate talent is not enough, nor are brilliance and audacity in themselves sufficient. There remains the ability to translate that talent, whether it be for acting or playwrighting, into terms that fulfill the promise of a play so that the performance succeeds in realizing the full measure of its potential.”

Focusing on the goal

Hart describes the need to maintain discipline and focus on thegoal. Talent alone is not enough; application of talent through dogged persistence and the acquisition of skills is what is necessary. 

I recently spoke with songwriter Emily Falvey, who has an office on famed Music Row in Nashville. She goes there daily and writes songs. Sometimes solo but other times with another artist or two. I asked Emily how many songs she writes per week, and she said between five and eight. The trick, she says, is to exercise your creative muscles. The more you use them, the stronger (and better) you can become.

Lessons from Moss Hart are passed down to Emily Falvey and serve as measures of the commitment one must apply to succeed, not merely in show business but any endeavor.

Sometimes those who have succeeded in school think their academic learning will enable them to coast into career success. In reality, anyone who manages such folks knows that schooling is step one. The rest comes from application to the task. In Moss Hart’s words, the “ability to translatethat talent” produces something of value – a product, a service, or a work of art.

Seldom a straight path

Of course, talent and hard work do not guarantee success. Adversity often intervenes, which can result in failure when it does. The challenge is to learn from failure, not let it define you. “Self-pity,” Hart writes in Act One, “is not a pleasant emotion and is a fruitless one as well, for its point of no return is an onset of black despair in very short order.” 

Not every play Moss Hart wrote was a success. Not every song that Emily Falvey writes will be a hit. The challenge is to adopt an attitude of humility, the willingness to learn from mistakes. Learn from what went wrong as a means of learning how to make things better.

First posted on Forbes.com 9.14.22

Recently I came across a term about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that is new to me – “Victory Disease.” As Mark Loproto writes on the website PearlHarbor.org, “Victory Disease is used to describe what happens when a nation allows a series of victories to lead them to complacency or arrogance.” 

Such was the case with the Japanese military in their victory in the Hawaiian Islands. Rather than consolidate territorial gains, they remained aggressive in their expansionist moves. The result was the Battle of Midway, where three of their four leading carriers and other warships were sunk. After that, the expansion was over; contraction began, though it took three more years of heavy fighting and heavy losses on both sides for the Allied defeat of Imperial Japan.

Victory Disease is an apt term for actions resulting from overconfidence that lead to defeat. It is something that many companies, both established and startup, suffer from time to time. Because the enemy learns to adapt – or the situation changes – what worked before will not work again. It is time for new tactics.

Marshall Goldsmith addressed this condition in his mega-bestseller book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. It focuses on habits or behaviors that prevent successful people from achieving their intentions; among the bad habits are being judgmental, dismissive, overly self-absorbed and assuming, and failing to listen and show recognition to others. These bad habits prevent individuals from being more thoughtful, wiser, and successful.

Getting smarter

Borrowing Marshall’s insights and the concept of Victory Disease, how can you keep from letting your wins get in the way of your thinking? Here are some suggestions.

Why did I succeed? Examine what you did to achieve your objectives. Analyze what went right and what went wrong. Ask trusted associates to help you diagnose your reasons for success. 

What could I have done better? Yes, things go right, but they can go wrong, too. So what can you learn from the missteps that you have made? Examine your assumptions. Were they correct, or did you fail to test them adequately?

What will I do better the next time? Plan ahead for mistakes. Think through what you will do if they occur. Better to prepare for what could go awry rather than letting it surprise you. Preparation is your guard against overconfidence.

Avoid too-high highs

Winning produces high, elated feelings. Yet, as every successful knows, winning can hide many flaws. The same applies to us as individuals. Therefore, we need to be mindful of our successes. Honor them, but do not revere them. 

When Roman generals returned to Rome after great victories, they were honored with parades. Often an enslaved person was positioned next to the general in his chariot. As the crowds cheered, the enslaved person would utter Momento mori (“Remember, you will die.”) Or as another Latin phrase goes, Sic transit gloria. (“All glory is fleeting.”)

Remain vigilant. Success does breed success, but it can also breed hubris, which gets us into trouble. Doing so will enable you to celebrate your victories without getting sick.

First posted on Forbes.com 3.08.2023

A conversation with a friend about the difficulties women face when loading luggage into overhead compartment bins on airplanes got Deepa Purushothaman thinking about how women do not seem to fit into a world designed by men. She is 5’1. She is also Indian American who understands women like her do not fit into the corporate world.

This realization led Purushothaman to look at how the struggles that other women of color – educated, talented and successful – face in the workplace. As the first Indian American to make a partner at Deloitte, she knew the situation first-hand. Her story, and her interviews with over 500 women of color, is told in a new book,The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America.

Challenges facing women of color

Purushothaman, in an interview with me, revealed that too many minority women internalize the problem to feel that the problem lies with them, not the organization. 

She tells the story of how when she made partner, a white male colleague, who also had made partner, told that her career (unlike his) was assured because she was a “twofer”–a woman and of color. “It really speaks to how for women of color we can be kind of going about our business and things are said to us or around us… [that] make us feel like we don’t belong. There is a real questioning of our worthiness.”

Women of color often face extra scrutiny and pressure. For example, one of the women Purusothaman interviewed said, “I feel responsible for representing my entire race with all my white colleagues. Cause I’m the only black person that many of my white colleagues have ever met. And so I edit what I wear, what I talk about, what I eat, how I wear my hair. And she went through this long list and hadn’t really realized the weight of what that was.”

Feeling more pressure

Being in the minority can be stressful. “Two of three women of color that I interviewed had mysterious illnesses. And I think it comes from not being seen and heard in structures. I think it’s the weight of what is happening to us… Some of the research that we have done suggests that for women of color, there’s an element of trauma and at real heaviness around the weight of balancing all these things that is very different and showing up very differently in our bodies.” [These conclusions are consistent with other research on the physical toll that bias exacts in the workplace.]

Code-switching — adopting a persona of what’s expected in the workplace — is commonplace. It is also exhausting. Purushothaman likens it to speaking in another language, something she did when worked in Latin America. 

Because there are fewer role models, some women of color cannot imagine themselves in more senior roles. “Then when you end up in these corporate structures and you’re told to be more assertive or more aggressive… or less emotional… [These things] reinforce that leadership looks different than us.” All of which adds to levels of apartness as well as stress.

Corporate leaders are receptive to the ideas of change, but as Purusothaman says, “You can’t just hold [a meeting] and say, tell me how you feel, and then everyone’s going to magically share. A lot of our HR processes are not set up to take in discrimination or [permit] people to report racism.” And if cases are reported, there can be “retribution and sidelining.” 

On a positive note, Purushothaman told me that executives who have received early copies of the book are reaching out to her seeking her advice on how they and their companies can better address the issues facing women of color.

Reimaging power

The final chapter of The First, The Few, The Only is titled “The New Rules of Power.” Purushothaman’s view of power is an inversion of stereotypical views; this “new model” of power is one directed for the benefit of others not simply themselves. “The women I met are ambitious. They do want power, but they want power, if it’s helpful, if it’s a multiplier, if it’s positive, if it’s altruistic… and if it’s community-oriented.” 

As Purushothaman says, “we can remake power, we can remake leadership, we can redefine success. We don’t have to the models that come before us, but we have to do some work to get there because again, the things we are taught I think are flawed and need to be remade.”

Purushothaman believes there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the discrimination women of color face in the workplace. Instead, what is required is a sense of psychological safety for women of color to feel free enough to speak openly and honestly and for those in positions of authority to listen and find ways to make positive changes.

First posted on Smartbrief on 4.082022

As he begins a concert, pianist-composer Chad Lawson asks his audience to engage in a breathing exercise. His purpose is not to get the audience to meditate but to participate in the experience: to enjoy the music more fully.

As Lawson told me in a recent interview, people come to his concerts after a busy day of activity. Suppose they plop down into the seat and wait for the music. Their minds are not where their bodies are. Instead, they focus on what they have done or must do next. By taking a moment to relax and reflect, they prepare themselves to enjoy the concert.

Such a perspective is something that so many of us need to practice. My colleague, Donald Altman, author, and psychotherapist, speaks about the need for the pause. You need to disengage and re-engage. Let your mind catch up with your body. Doing so enables you to concentrate on what comes next.

Podcasting

Focusing on the here and now is also a theme of Lawson’s other work. He is the creator and host of a virally popular podcast, Calm It Down, which has logged two million downloads. Developed during the Covid lockdowns, when Lawson was off the road and had to remain home, he sought a way to keep in contact with his audiences. These podcasts weave music into his narration. There is a sonority to both that encourages people to sit back and listen and, yes, learn.

These podcasts, typically running under 30 minutes, are soothing with a touch of occasional whimsy. Two recent titles, “You are not a fish” and “Comfortably numb,” are examinations of what it takes to assert one’s self-worth as well as to be comfortable in your own skin.

Empathy is a central theme in Lawson’s work. While Lawson studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, he says, “One of the biggest things I’ve always accredited my career to is waiting tables. I waited tables for 15 years.” What Lawson learned was anticipating the needs of restaurant patrons. “If I’m waiting tables with someone and I notice their drink is low, my role is to refill that drink before they ask. Because if they ask, it’s too late. I’m trying to look at their needs without them addressing me and hopes of those needs being met.” Empathy in action.

Music speaks

Music, as Lawson says, speaks to us differently. It reaches our emotions, yes, but also connects to our physiology. Listening to music raises levels of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins – the so-called happy hormones.

Lawson likens what music does to meeting a friend or going for a walk in the woods. “You feel better, and that’s what these happy hormones are.” In short, says Lawson, “You literally could just lay there, hit play on some calm music, and begin to feel better. And this science was proving it.”

Lawson’s newest album, featuring solo piano as well as piano and orchestra arrangements, is called breathe. This album, born during the lockdown period, is melodic and soothing. For Lawson, the melody is where his heart is. He likes to build his compositions on one musical phrase, then another, and another until he finds the blending that communicates authentically.

Space between us

In music, composers from Wolfgang Mozart to Miles Davis liked to speak about the space between the notes and where the theme occurs. “Between those two notes,” says Lawson, “is where the magic actually happens because you hit a note, the listener is hearing it, but it needs to resonate.” 

Connection is a theme in Lawson’s work, whether via podcast or music; his work seeks to build bridges for us to gain clarity in our own lives as well as to complement the lives of others in our social space. 

Note: Listen here to the entire LinkedIn Live interview with Chad Lawson.

First posted on Forbes.com 12.00.2022