Are You Scared? Keep it Real!

Far be it from me to not find a moment in the 2017 Oscars to relate to life and leadership. No this is not about the award for Best Picture – detail orientation, going with your gut, ownership, continuous improvement, grace or forgiveness. I am writing about courage and connectivity.

I’d like to start with what I at least refer to as a “Dermotism” from ADP’s CHRO Dermot O’Brien, “If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter.” I heard him say more than once. I mention that because I’m working on my brevity. I could go on and on about it. It’s a challenge – like watching what I eat. It’s effort-filled and full of choices, and the responsibility of knowing my intention before, as, and once I’m finished.

Dermot is smart enough to borrow thoughts from others, and this one may be attested to come from French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. Dermot is worldly. He also has music in his blood which brings me back to the 2017 Oscars near the end of which John Legend plays and sings a medley of two Oscar-nominated songs from La La Land – “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream).” It’s GOOD! What a gift it is to both “meet expectations” and leave people with “that feeling.” Or is it a gift to have astounding be the expectation.

Rewind to John and Chrissy Teigen entering the Dolby Theater. Being interviewed for E!News by Ryan Seacrest, John is cool, and Chrissy is patient - until she trades patient for real. Being real is an endearing quality of hers. She wants to connect at the human level, so she interrupts the interview – TWICE! She encourages her husband to open up about his nervousness, first by speaking it, then by prodding John to be truthful to which he acknowledges that “it’s a challenge” and explains that he is used to playing his own songs on television and that he had to learn a lot for this.

Here’s an effort at brevity with respect to life and leadership takeaways from the situation:

• John Legend still gets nervous
• John Legend still has to work hard to pull off his legendness
• Chrissy Teigen knows that by calling it what it is, nervousness cannot own him
• Chrissy Teigen loves him and supports him through his anxiety the best way she knows how and helps others relate to him in the process

So what!?! From a mathematical and philosophical standpoint, I suggest to you that if John Legend still gets nervous doing what he’s so good at, can be uncertain of the outcomes of his performance, and is still willing to work hard to perform to his potential for the sake of others, then so can we. John Legend is human. We are human. We are John Legend. My brother is the math teacher, not me.

Whatever is uncomfortable or uncertain – that thing that’s the right thing to do, the next mountain to climb, favor for a friend, or small but difficult piece to a big puzzle . . . find a reason and a Chrissy Teigen – to push through it. Acknowledge the fear and believe in spite of doubt. Persevering in spite of fear and doubt – it’s the stuff of legends!