Track 7: Try Everything

The Leadership Playlist is back, and ready to add another track to the playlist! Thank you all for your patience as I took an overdue vacation. A vacation that inspired this week’s newsletter and more, but more on that in a bit. Each week, we add a new song to the Leadership Playlist (available to listen to and follow on Spotify!) and tie that song to a topic about leadership and personal development. I try to choose songs that are diverse in style and artist, so just like the variety of leaders out there, hopefully each song can provide some unique inspiration.

Much like the structure of a song, this newsletter is organized into sections. First comes the verse, where I’ll introduce the topic for the week. This week, we’re encouraging leaders to try new things. When we get to the chorus, I’ll introduce the inspiring song for the week, along with some information about the artist behind it. Then, we’ll cross The Bridge, where the song and topic will meet and provide some inspiration.

So go ahead and get comfortable and queue up Track #7.

The Verse

There’s comfort in routine.

It’s always been done this way.

The last time we tried that it didn’t work.

How many of these phrases sound familiar? I know from my personal experiences I’ve both said and heard them before. I tend to be a creature of habit, so I rely on my routines. I’ve even found success creating new habits by tying them to existing routines. A change in the schedule can create a delay from accomplishing my plans.

I’ve also been on teams where the tried and true is the way it is done and continues to be done. Why break what doesn’t need fixed? It can make suggesting or trying new ideas difficult to get off the ground, especially when the evidence shows things are working. There’s also the fear that doing something differently or trying a new method will lead to failure, which can stifle a leader’s ability to take that risk. How do we move beyond this doubt to try new ideas and experiences?

The Chorus

“I wanna try everything, I wanna try even if I could fail.”

Shakira is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the “Queen of Latin Music,” as well as known for her musical versatility. At age 13 she made her recording debut, although her first two albums were considered commercial failures. In 1995 she released her album ‘Pies Descalzos’ and gained prominence in Hispanic countries. In 2001, she released her fifth album, her first English-language album, ‘Laundry Service,’ which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. She continues to release both English and Spanish-language albums, and has sold over 95 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard reports in 2023 that Shakira is the best-selling female artist of all time.

In 2016, Shakira lent her voice and singing talents to the Walt Disney animated movie ‘Zootopia.’ In the movie, Shakira voices the character of Gazelle, a famous pop star who performs the song ‘Try Everything’ during the movie. The song has been certified 2 times platinum in the United States for sales exceeding 2 million units and ranks in the top 20 of Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Disney Songs Chart.

The Bridge

“I messed up tonight, I lost another fight. Lost to myself, but I’ll just start again.”

As leaders, we frequently hear that mistakes are learning opportunities and often the catalyst for doing something successful the next time. As true as that can be it doesn’t always make the moment of the mistake feel better. Discovering you’ve made an error that has lost time or money can especially provide a sting. It can even make us hesitant to try that same process again for fear of the same outcome.

In a former role, I was responsible for sending out monthly billing invoices so we could receive payment. One month, I sent out several invoices, only to learn that the invoices I’d mailed out were incorrect. I had billed incorrect amounts, and when the recipients received their invoices, they rightfully declined to make the payments as the amounts were incorrect. As I reviewed my process, I realized that I had made an error in copying and pasting within the billing spreadsheet I used to calculate the payment amounts. Realizing I had made this error, and that it had delayed our ability to receive payments, left me feeling defeated in the moment.

The following month, when it came time to process the next round of invoices, I was dreading the process. I had a feeling I’d likely make the error again and further complicate the process. I finally got around to running the process, but this time I asked for a second set of eyes to review the invoices before sending them out. I tried a new process and by adding that quality control step I was able to send out the invoices successfully and error-free. After a second month of the same success, I was once again confident I was completing the project. A few months later when a new system was introduced to run the invoices, I was comfortable with giving it a try and discovering it was also successful.

“You’ve done enough, take a deep breath. Don’t beat yourself up, no need to run so fast.”

I find a solid routine helpful for my productivity. My schedule is fairly consistent, and I make myself a task list each day to make sure I’m staying on track with projects and goals. I can fall victim to distractions now and then, but I try to keep a routine going for each day. This feels both comforting and at times overwhelming, but most evenings I can evaluate my day and say I’ve been productive.

Earlier this year, my husband advised me that our oldest niece had decided where she wanted to go for the vacation we’d gifted her for graduation. She’d chosen to visit the island of St. Maarten. We would be spending a week in the tropics, hanging out on the beach and seeing the sites. For most people, this would sound like an incredible opportunity and they'd start packing their bags. For my normally structured, scheduled self, I started to feel the nerves.

I've never been a beach person. The idea of just spending hours in one place, maybe swimming or maybe just lounging in the sun, sounded painfully boring to me. I know, I'm an odd one in that respect. I just couldn't imagine enjoying myself, but I knew I'd go along and make the best of it.

"I always get up now, see what's next."

So I traveled to St. Maarten. We arrived at our villa for the trip, and as I looked out the windows to our patio, I could see the beach and the clear, blue-green water. It was an image I'd only seen in pictures, but it made me stop and pause and enjoy the view. The following morning, I woke up, thinking I was going to follow my normal morning routine. I'd grab some coffee, my planner and my journal and I'd write out my day. I grabbed my items and headed out to sit on the patio. And I just stopped. I found myself sitting in the sun, hearing the waves crash against the shore, and my plans of journaling and writing just stopped. I finally got the appeal of the situation and it was incredible!

Over the rest of the trip, I found myself at five different beaches, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I swam in warm, clear water and got sand between my toes. I went hiking through the very hot and humid rainforest and survived! I rode a zip line down the highest mountain on the island and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Prior to the trip I'd questioned whether I'd enjoy any of these activities, or if I'd even want to do them. Trying these new things and letting go of my schedule was exactly what I needed to do! I returned home more relaxed and energized than I'd been in too long to recall.

The Bridge

"Look how far you've come. You've filled your heart with love."

Trying new things can be uncomfortable for anyone, including leaders. Trying something again, or trying it in a different way, after an initial error can be a daunting task as well. I've learned that it's typically in these moments of trying that we discover things we are capable of, as well as better ways to accomplish our goals.

I've been putting together the idea for this newsletter for a while, and at first I wasn't sure if I'd have anything to say, or if anyone would care if I said it. But I decided to try it, and here we are. My initial thoughts revolved around leadership and music, two topics I felt I comfortably knew a lot about. As I got started, I'd think "next week I want to write about topic X." I'd be excited to gather my thoughts on the topic, and then as I'd start going through my music library, I'd start to wonder if that was a good idea. Songs aren't always straightforward in their message, especially when it relates to some of the leadership topics I wanted to cover. I admit to even reaching a few points where I was stressed about the idea of my next edition, and that made me think maybe it wasn't worth it.

Then, I took that vacation. As I sat there that first morning, just taking everything in, randomly the song 'Pearls' by Jessie Ware popped into my head. It's not a song I'd associate with leadership, at least not at first listen. But amongst the sounds of the ocean waves and my breathing, here's this song running through my head. So I opened up my notebook and I started writing about it. As I wrote, I realized that most every day I have a few dozen songs that run through my head. What would be the harm in just taking 10 to 20 minutes each day to write my thoughts on the song as they come to me? It would certainly be great practice for my writing in general, and possibly a built-in library of ideas for future newsletter editions.

"I won't give up, no I won't give in, 'Til I reach the end, and then I'll start again"

Every morning for the remainder of the trip, and every day since I've gotten home, I've written about a page worth of notes about whatever song has popped into my head. I'm trying something new. And it was all inspired by my initial shift in my routine. Spoiler Alert: 'Pearls' will likely make a future appearance on the playlist.

Don't let the fear of failure or change keep you from trying new things and pursuing new ideas. As leaders, this is one of the areas where we can really make an impact. If you reflect on some of the leaders you most admire, I'm sure you'd find examples in their success where they achieved it by trying something new or taking a different approach to their routine. Remember, try everything, even if you could fail.