Benjamin Zander, the conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, gave my favorite (and certainly the most passionate and inspired) talk at TED2008…and perhaps of all TEDs. I was completely floored by his energy, his optimism and his intense sense of responsibility in getting his musicians excited for their work.
This is the kind of leader I strive to be (but know I am far from being). He asks a really great question towards the end of the talk - “Do their eyes shine?” That is, do you see the energy/passion in your people’s (team, organization, family) eyes when they are deep in the work? (Are they deep in the work?)
I think we all want teams who are as excited/passionate as we are. When they are not, it is easy to blame them and point to the “deficiency.” The challenge, as Mr. Zander put it, is to ask, “Who are we being when their eyes don’t shine?” Are we taking full accountability of the state of our teams? Are we doing all we can to inspire? Are we clearly communicating our vision?
All I know is that my eyes were shining listening to Mr. Zander speak.
Watch, enjoy, shine.
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TED2008 video: Benjamin Zan...
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