No One Dances to Sheet Music

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There are already many websites that enable you to "make unlimited music with AI." You can create songs in just a few clicks. Without any special musical talent, you can create an entire catalogue of mediocre music. There are more than 100 million songs on Spotify today and that number will grow dramatically as it continues to get easier to create music.

This is similarly true for all content - emails, blogs, social posts, videos, etc.? AI can generate infinite noise with minimal input from humans. AI will provide endless content for stationary humans to consume while they stay glued to their screens. If your goals can be achieved by stationary, distracted humans without straying from their screens, AI might be a magical shortcut.

It's going to be easier and easier to make music, but it will still be just as difficult to get people to dance. People have to divert from their screens to dance. Even harder is getting a group of people to perform a choreographed dance together. There are no short cuts for choreography. You have to get a group of humans to opt in to the actions you prescribe, in sync with your timing, and with the energy that your dance demands.

Where AI can do the work, expect the value paid to humans for that work to approach zero. Choreography requires uniquely human capabilities like creativity, collaboration, curiosity, courage, and leadership, which makes it unlikely that AI will devalue choreographers. The future is bright for choreographers because humans are most capable of convincing other humans to step away from their screens and move.

Choreography is a great leadership example because choreographers first have to know their teams well enough to know what actions they are capable of performing. Next they have to prescribe the timing at which they will perform those actions. Choreographers determine the energy that the dance requires and then create the conditions for that energy. Where choreography requires the most leadership is getting a troupe of dancers to commit to the hours of practice required to perfect the dance.

I recently read a job description for a leadership role that included this fascinating requirement: "Create followership across departments and functions." I love this language for leadership and I think it perfectly describes how to evaluate a choreographer. A perfectly executed dance is proof that a choreographer created followership among those dancers.

Will other humans commit to dance with you? Can you create followership?? I'm very skeptical that ChatGPT will ever be able to create followership, but I believe you can.? The best opportunities in the years ahead will present themselves to those with the courage to lead - the courage to raise your hand to be the choreographer. We will let the machines handle the math and we will initiate the action, drive the timing, and provide the energy for our team of humans to thrive together in perfect rhythm!

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