"The Danger of a Single Story"

The concept and the power of "The Story" is a central feature in coaching. I've made numerous references to people's stories in this blog -- how all of us create stories or narratives to make sense of our situations or environments, or the stories we carry from our childhoods or past experiences.

Recently, a friend shared a video with me that gave me a new perspective on the power and the danger of our stories, and the global implications of when we insist on sticking with a familiar story.

This summer, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivered a TED lecture about the Danger of a Single Story.(If you are not familiar with TED, you need to check it out. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, features short lectures by some of the most creative thinkers in the world, in all kinds of disciplines. The label: "Ideas Worth Spreading.")

On the surface, Adichie's lecture discusses the "single story" of Africa; the limited perspective in the Western World about the mosaic of Africa and its multiple cultures and peoples. Adichie is the child of two college professors, yet her college roommate in America initially believed her to live in some sort of rural hut. Adichie acknowledges her own experience with the Single Story, as applied to the rural domestic help who worked in her parents home.

As I listened to Adichie, I thought again how often the "single story" is applied in our individual workplaces, families and identities. If your personal workplace "story" is of you as the "wunderkind," how will you see yourself as time passes? If your "story" for your supervisor is as a clueless idiot, can you recognize when he or she has a great idea?

Here's the link. It's worth a listen:

Beautiful Music

Music has been a constant in my life. From the 78 rpm Count Bassie LP's my parents would play, through my siblings' Motown 45's; classical and pop music concerts, vinyl LP's, CD's and music downloads. An eclectic variety of music presented in multiple formats. While the music has been a constant, its variations and its delivery change continuously. I am reminded of that reality by two very different musicians: Benjamin Zander and Ophir “Kutiman” Kutiel.

Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. Not only is he known around the world as both a guest conductor, he also is a sought-after speaker on leadership. He sees the creation of music and its harmonies as a metaphor for bringing out the best in ourselves and others. He explores these ideas about leadership in the book he co-authored with his wife Rosamund Stone Zander, The Art of Possibility. He also demonstrates his approach in this February 2008 presentation to the T.E.D. (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Conference In Monterrey, California.

"Kutiman" is an Israeli musician and producer who is blowing up in the world of viral videos. His achievement: mashing up hundreds of unrelated musical performances found on YouTube and creating cohesive, tight, unique songs. The result of his work, titled "Thru You," can be heard and viewed here, including snippets of the various videos used in the production.

Both men show way creativity and flexibility are essential for leadership. Kutiman saw the potential in the raw material he found on YouTube, yet had no opportunity to change any of the performances he used. Instead, he painstakingly wove each piece together to produce something beyond the imaginations of any of the individual contributors.

Zander, working in a far different musical medium, recognizes the most important part of his own contribution in presenting orchestral work. "The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound," he says. "He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful."

He adds: "I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people"

Something we all should remember. Because by empowering other people, we empower ourselves.