What I Learnt About Leadership From Theatre

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Theatre Director's Roundtable 2020 in Dubai this year (behind closed doors of course). It was a prestigious event to be invited to and it got me thinking about the things I learnt about leadership from theatre.

Background

Outside of work, I have been involved with theatre in the UAE for the past 20 years. I am predominantly director but also dabble in acting now and then. This past season, I had the good fortune of directing not 1 but 2 plays - A Behanding in Spokane (a dark comedy by Oscar nominated writer Martin McDonagh) and Tigers Be Still (a coming of age comedy about life, loss and a tiger). Both were staged at The Junction in Alserkal Avenue and were well received by audiences. I had a combined cast and crew of 20+ individuals working with me over months to bring these shows to life.

Lessons Learnt

- Passion cannot be taught but it is highly infectious! My entire team from the stage hand to the lead actors were working professionals who were doing these plays without getting a single penny out of it. They came after work hours and put in hard work over months. Why? Because they loved theatre and were passionate about it. Their passion transpired into something beautiful on stage that our audience (read customers) loved! Don't we see this in the workplace as well? People who are passionate about what they do deliver to the best of their ability. Working with such people is a pleasure because their passion rubs off on the team.

- Multiculturalism brings an amazing flavor to the end product any day anytime! We had over 10 different nationalities working on these 2 projects. We had varied age groups (my youngest actor was 17 and the oldest was triple his age). Educational backgrounds were vastly different. There was only 1 rule. Once you entered rehearsals, everyone was equal and the director made the final call. Respect and acceptance was the unsaid cardinal rule between us. From there each discussion took us on a journey into their wonderful cultures. We looked at scenes from different perspectives. The end product was enhanced by these different perspectives. I find this as the best setup in the workplace too.

- Trust is everything! This probably is most true in theatre. Think about it. It is a live medium. No cuts. No retakes. From the moment a show begins it is all about trust. You trust your team to do their part while you do yours. Your co-actor needs to gauge from your face/body language that you have forgotten your lines and they help you without making the audience aware. We trust the people in the tech booth will bring up light and sounds at the right time. We trust stage managers to have the props in the right place and time. No single person has control. Everyone needs each person on the team and every role is vital. Its all about trust! Im sure you are already aware about the need for trust in the workplace but if you want to learn more about it, I encourage you to read The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey!

In the comments below, let me know about what your interests have taught you about leadership.