Eras of Leadership: Sometimes You Have to Shake It Off & Do It with a Broken Heart

Learning to “Shake It Off” and “Do It With A Broken Heart” are essential leadership lessons. Unfortunately they’re also my recent experiences as I return home from Vienna, Austria where my daughter and I, along with friends, traveled to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.?

It was late evening in Spain the night before we were set to head to Vienna when I received messages from our US friends. All three nights of the concert were canceled due to a terrorist plot. It seemed too crazy to be true. With only nine hours until our flight from Barcelona to Vienna, I had to tell my daughter that although we had spent the whole summer making bracelets and planning our outfits, the concert was not to occur.??

Seeing her heartbreak and comforting her while she cried broke my heart. All the logic in the world about prioritizing safety couldn’t lessen how “Cruel Summer” that moment felt.

After a bit of rest, we boarded our flight to Vienna determined to make the most of the weekend ahead. What ensued for us, our friends, and the hundreds of thousand Swifties serves as a #StrategyIRL lesson on the importance of strength and resiliency as a leader.?

Sometimes You Have to Do It with a Broken Heart.

Having spent the early part of my career in public safety and homeland security, I learned the importance of preparedness and risk mitigation. One of the most challenging facets of keeping people safe is making unpopular decisions. Government leaders take on this burden in every society. So, too, do CEOs who have to balance employee safety with shareholder expectations.?

I think about the decision facing Barracuda Music (the concert management company) and Taylor Swift herself.? On one hand, there was a confirmed terror plot that could harm thousands. It was unknown if the apprehended suspects acted alone or to what extent there was remaining risk once they were in custody. On the other, there was the economic impact on vendors, fans, and local organizations who all stood to lose significantly. Amidst it all is the reality that people - kids, families, and I assume even the pop star herself - were emotionally invested in what to some was a once in a lifetime event.

Making a decision to cancel three concerts required strength.?

Putting safety and security above profit or public sentiment is clearly the right and only decision. But as any leader faced with imperfect data and multiple opinions can attest, such a decision may be right, but not easy for those individuals on whose shoulders the magnitude rests. As much as my daughter’s and my hearts were broken, I can only imagine how much those leaders had broken hearts too.

A strong leader possesses the trait to do what must be done despite the popularity of the decision.? I’m sure we all think when security or safety is on the line such decisions would be easy, but I’d argue that the realities of trusting data, balancing opinions and facts, and owning the responsibility suggest otherwise.? Just think about all the strife that occurred during the COVID19 pandemic. No decision was easy and leaders across public and private sectors had to show their strength… even with a broken heart.?

Leaders Need to Shake It Off and Help Others Do the Same.

On the flight from Barcelona to Vienna my daughter said to me, “Mom, I’m glad we are getting to do this together and think we’re lucky to go to Austria, even if it’s not what we had planned.” In that simple statement she showed a maturity beyond her ten years. She had started to shake off the sadness as she realized there was no changing the situation. We needed to be grateful, enjoy the opportunities ahead, and create our own experience.?

And that we did. From navigating the popup Swiftie sing-a-longs across the city to exploring historic sights, trying new foods, and spending time with friends, we ‘kept cruisin' and wouldn’t stop movin'... like we got this music in our minds sayin' it's gonna be alright…’

Across the city we encountered many fans trying to lift up others’ spirits. From the police officer who was trading bracelets to the numerous stores offering freebies to ticket holders, the vibe wasn’t just individuals shaking it off, but people helping others to do so. I was again struck by the metaphor of resilient leadership… not just bouncing back yourself, but supporting, guiding, and enabling others to do the same.

When I think about the executives I admire most, they’re not only strong and capable of making tough decisions, but they lift others up in execution. When dealing with strategy - for growth, transformation, or innovation, leaders’ success is as key as any well documented plan.

August and Karma?

“August slipped away into a moment of time” for our Eras dream, but has provided a lesson not just for my daughter about strength and resiliency, but for every leader out there who knows the burden of responsibility. I’m profoundly grateful for the law enforcement organizations who acted swiftly (no pun intended!). I’m likewise grateful for the opportunity to have traveled and enjoyed the welcoming warmth of Vienna. I continue to hope that ‘Karma will be a relaxing thought’ that provides us an opportunity to see Taylor in some future era. Even should I get to attend a concert one day, I hope that I take and apply learnings from this experience so that I don’t “have this thing where I get older but just never wiser.”

NBG Strategy Consulting helps clients in designing and aligning operating frameworks that embrace innovation, transformation, growth, and leadership to increase employee and customer engagement in service of success goals.

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