Principles learnt about passion, propulsion and performance in business – Part 2

PRINCIPLE 4: Timing and rhythm are everything in business. Know when to move quickly; know when to slow down and pause. Every dance has a certain rhythm, utilizing a combination of quick and slow (or hold) movements. E.g., in salsa, for every 3 quick steps, you pause on the fourth. For a dance to be graceful, fluid and dynamic, mastering its varying tempo is essential.

In business, timing and rhythm are equally important. The most successful businesses know that there is a time to grow and seize opportunities quickly. There is also a time to pause, regroup and put the necessary resources in place to go to the next level. Do you honor your own business rhythm? Do you know when to move quickly and when to pause? How can pausing help you to get to your goal faster?

PRINCIPLE 5: Developing powerful business (or personal) partnerships requires sensory acuity. Pay attention to the unspoken communications. One of the most critical skills in partner dancing is developing sensory acuity. Both the leader and the follower must learn to communicate and “listen” to each other, without words. A follower must “listen” to a leader’s cues — communicated from his frame to her frame — for next steps. The leader uses this skill to discern whether his partner “heard” his dance cues correctly and, if necessary, to adjust his lead accordingly.

Powerful “partnerships” are at the heart of every business, whether between a boss and employee, between a company and their customers, or amongst peers, such partnerships listening to the unspoken communications. Only 7% of our communications comes from words; 60-70% through physiology. Pay attention to a person’s physiology – such as their gestures, posture, etc. What are these unspoken “signals” telling you? How can mastering this skill improve your bottom-line?

PRINCIPLE 6: Great leaders lead from behind. They know how to put the spotlight on others and help them succeed. In dancing, the leader’s role is to lead the steps, bring out the best in the follower and let their partner shine. The follower’s “job” is to implement the dance choreography … i.e., its vision and essence. So it is with business.

Your business success is directly proportional to your ability to lead from behind, bring out the best in others and help them succeed. Such is the paradox of great leadership. To what extent do you bring out the best in others and help them succeed? How can leading from behind make your “job” easier and produce better business outcomes?

PRINCIPLE 7: The greatest dance of all is the dance with uncertainty. To succeed in today’s times, you must learn to let go of control, be “light on your feet” and ready to respond in a moment’s time. The greatest gift that dancing has taught me is the ability to live in the moment, let go of the need to control/anticipate the dance steps and to trust myself and my inner guidance. Every follower must learn to live with 100% uncertainty and be ready for any step – even those never learned – that the leader chooses in the moment.

The 21st century is one of rapid change and unpredictability. Social upheaval, technological breakthroughs, environmental catastrophes, etc. can instantly change the course of a business. To survive and thrive, you must learn to dance with uncertainty; every change presents threats and opportunities. Your ability to flow with, not against, the tide of change will determine your ultimate outcome.

How comfortable are you with uncertainty? How does your management style prevent you from responding to change? Do you move with or against the tide? As Jerry Rice learned that being great in dancing is not different from that in football, so too have I learned the same holds between dancing and business. As diverse as these disciplines seem on the surface, they intersect at the core elements driving every great success story.

Timing, intuition, passion, creative expression, spontaneity and rhythm are just a few of the commonalities. The “Dance of Success” is not about winning the medal. It is the path to mastery itself that catapults us beyond the edge of who we are and what we are capable of. CONCLUDED