"It was the end of an 'era', but the start of an age": An Inclusion Masterclass from Taylor Swift

I said 'remember this moment, in the back of my mind' on each of the two nights that I was beyond privileged to watch Taylor Swift perform at Wembley Stadium.

You might be asking, 'why' am I choosing to fill a 'blank space' in your LinkedIn news feed with The Eras Tour?

Listen, it's 2024, and we may want to talk about T-Swizzle: She's unapologetically an advocate for women-and- she's undeniably successful beyond most of our 'wildest dreams'.

Just in case you haven't heard, Taylor Swift is the highest grossing female artist of all time. Her Eras Tour has boasted a 'big reputation', generating her a financial worth of 2 billion-yes-2 BILLION dollars. A tour that spanned 149 shows across five continents, 21 countries, with 10.1 million humans in attendance.

Some may try to underestimate the impact of this unstoppable woman on communities, cities, countries, tourism and those that she has shared generously with. However, 'we see you, over there, on the internet- comparing all the girls that are killing it', and, honestly, 'you need to calm down.'

Why?

With inspirations like Taylor, more of us women are going to be loud. We are going to 'speak now' and we are definitely going to stop 'running as fast as we can', wondering if we'd get there quicker if we were a man'.

Women and girls now have access to role models like Taylor Swift, who has persevered through criticism and 'perfect (media) storms', and her 'best day' has now arrived.

It's not a secret that I have a huge affinity bias when it comes to Taylor. I might be her 'target' audience (as some would assume).

I mean, I'm definitely not a billionaire selling out stadiums. However, as an unmarried (not a cat lady though- sorry Tay!) millennial woman the same age as Taylor, that also loves to put pen to paper (with a bit of an obsession for sequins too), I have definitely got so much admiration for my beloved idol.

So it's not a shock really, that I may relate to Taylor on some levels. However, what remarkably surprised me over the last 2 years as I entered my mega 'Swiftie era' is just how relatable she is... to millions of us. How often do we find 'relatable' billionaires? Surely, 'this happens once every few lifetimes'.

This is what fascinates me so much, as an inclusion professional.

From an inclusion perspective, Taylor is relatable because she makes it about her fans. The brand of 'Taylor Swift' isn't just about Taylor. It's about the 'feeling' Taylor gives you. They aren't just her songs, they are 'our song'.

Taylor allows us to float in our own minds as we listen to her music. She uplifts us, as she opens the show each night on the Era's Tour, playing the guitar and informing us that "after tonight" when we listen to these songs, "we're going to think about the 'memories that we made together."

It's a collective experience- Taylor doesn't 'own it'- we all do.

It's a truly 'shared' space that belongs to each and every one of us, whoever we are and wherever we are. There is no agenda other than to go and rejoice, or cry, or feel whatever you need to feel, because the experience is about feeling what YOU need to feel.

Taylor provides the lyrics and she allows you to 'own' the space- she very actively encourages it.

The other thing that is so remarkable about Taylor is her ability to be vulnerable but to command the stage and the crowd. She has humility- she laughs at the stage mis-haps, she giggles when she misses a lyric or if some technology decides to give up. But, she owns it. She owns these imperfect scenarios with grace and wizardry. She allows her own tears to fall after the ten-minute standing ovation after 'Champagne Problems' and she never once misses an opportunity to head-on address some of the inequalities in society:

"You're making me feel so powerful. You're making me feel like... The Man."

This human PERSON engages up to sometimes 90,000 people per show, yet she stands there, owning her flaws, imperfections, errors and effortlessly gets us all screaming "f**k the patriarchy" night after night. She's a woman, an imperfect woman, and yet, she's 'fearless'.

As she says herself:

"It's about being scared, but doing it anyway."

So, what have I learned from Taylor and why should we, the people of LinkedIn, take note of this true 'mastermind' in our lives and our workplaces?

Lesson 1: Make the friendship bracelets. Togetherness is happiness. Togetherness is powerful. Togetherness allows everyone to feel safe and understand that they belong.

Lesson 2: You can be imperfect, and you can still command the room. You can be your own kind of leader. Who cares if it isn't perfect? Own your flaws and your vulnerability, and people will admire you even more for it.

Lesson 3: If you are a leader, don't 'hoard' for yourself. Share. Share with others and empower them to make the 'spaces' you are in 'their space' too. Encourage different interpretations. It's not just your 'vision'. Initiatives should land meaningfully with every person, just as a Taylor Swift song is made great only when the fans find meaning in a way that resonates with them.

And finally, lesson 4: Recognition of yourself and your achievements. When you look around, you might just realise there is 'something they can't take away':

"You're on your own, kid, and you always have been."

And that, is how we know we can thrive and sell out our own metaphorical stadiums, whatever that looks like for us, within our own lives.

So, it might be 'The end of an era'. But crucially, as Taylor famously said at her last show:

"It's the start of an age."

Maybe...just maybe, this is the start of an age where we can show up, feel safe and exist in a way that brings us joy, whatever that looks like for us.