We’re still standing! Drawing leadership insights from Elton John’s concert in Cairns

I travelled to Cairns this long weekend to see Elton John play at Cazalys Stadium. I was fortunate and excited to have a front row seat – Seat 1A! When the music started, a few of us began to stand and dance in our seats but were quickly told by security guards to sit down. As the concert progressed, more fans were migrating closer to the stage and dancing along to the infectious tunes.

It was becoming harder and harder for security to stop us. At one point, there were about thirty people at the front dancing along to Elton’s iconic songs – how could you not? Shortly after witnessing the security guards’ feeble attempts to control the crowd, Elton barked out “For goodness’ sake, let the people stand! This is a rock concert – not a protest!”

Well, when Elton talks, people listen.

Immediately that message from the top opened the floodgates. Hundreds of people swarmed to the stage and the atmosphere in the stadium amplified, with the band feeding off of the delight of the crowd.

In Simon Sinek’s TED talk ‘Why good leaders makes you feel safe’, he discusses leaders setting the tone and the environment (or ‘level of safety’) that employees feel within an organisation. When employees on the ground have high trust/safe environments, they feel empowered and supported to make their own decisions.

The security guards were following their direct leaders’ instructions to ensure the safety of everyone at the stadium. They were doing their absolute best to prevent fans from swarming upfront. The ‘threat’ that we felt in the crowd was that if we were to dance/stand up too many times, we may be ordered to leave the event.

However, it took only one sentence from the ‘organisation’s’ principal leader, Elton, to set a new standard. By telling us we were allowed to stand, he instantly changed the environment to one where we felt safe to dance, sway and twirl without the threat of eviction hovering over us.

I spoke to the security guard following the event and asked how he felt in that moment. He laughed and shook his head, saying “It was impossible to reinforce our directions after Elton’s call”.

It made me think about middle managers in organisations who believe they are doing the right thing (by reinforcing a directive they have been given) and the confusion and frustration they may feel when a more senior leader talks directly to their team and changes the environment they are responsible for.

“For goodness’ sake, let the people stand! This is a rock concert – not a protest!” - Sir Elton John

It’s almost as if the managers are stripped of their credibility to continue the job they were tasked with, as they have essentially been overruled and undermined. It may cause them to throw their figurative arms in the air, thinking ‘What’s the point?’ The other interesting question this scenario raises is, why are middle managers reinforcing behaviours that are not supported by the organisation leaders? Where/when/why is the message lost in translation?

Another thing I loved hearing is that the band’s 66 year old lead guitarist, Davey Johnstone, has played over 2,800 gigs with Sir Elton. He and his band-mates are still having the time of their lives on stage, playing music together like it was their first time. You feel that energy and passion coursing through your own veins. It’s truly a joy to go to these gigs and watch people publicly display the love they have for their job – it’s their life’s purpose.

And if you ever get the chance to see Elton play, do it! It was the best gig ever. Oh, and thanks for the guitar pick, Davey!

About the author

Leanne Hughes is the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast. She loves to shake up expectations and drive influential contagious experiences.

Leanne has facilitated leadership, on-boarding and team-building workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Mongolia and believes in a Strengths-centred approach to learning and development. She has over 13 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.

In 2018, she was a finalist in the Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.

You can view more of her work at leannehughes.com.

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