Leaders create space
"With all of our running and all of our cunning / If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane" Jimmy Buffett
Rest in peace Jimmy Buffett. I would not call my self a Parrothead - a die hard fan of Jimmy Buffet, though I do very much enjoy his songs. In my family I'm affectionately known as the "Spin Master." I'm the one who chooses the songs when we are gathered with family and friends. Jimmy Buffett is always in the cue. Like many passing artists, through recent encomiums and documentaries I've gained a deeper appreciation for Buffetts' body of work. And, of course, looking through the lens of leadership - influencing others, I arrive here, armed with the pen or keyboard in this case, ready to share what leaders do.
Leaders create space meaning, the environments we want to work and serve in. They create culture and environment - welcoming, challenging, yet fun and inclusive places where people can learn and grow and find fulfillment. They do this because they understand the power of spaces - places such as work where people spend much of their lives. They understand that if they create these inviting spaces, people will respond. Organizations will achieve excellence.
Jimmy Buffett created that space for his followers, if only psychologically, where they could escape the grind of the wok place. He created, as author Bob Greene states in a Wall Street Journal article, "...that intoxicating premise that summers go on and on." Buffett's songs and his aura were the culture, or counter culture - sun, sand, and the carefree freedom we all yearn for. Greene continues, "Don't know the reason, stayed here all season, Buffett sang in Margaritaville, and not knowing the reason seemed reason enough." That line, along with so many others in his songs, his presence, and his demeanor created an impressive and loyal following. Jimmy Buffett likely did not begin his journey writing and singing with leadership - creating space (workplace culture), loyal followers (engaged employees) in mind, but the leadership parallels are just too much for this leader to overlook.
Indeed, leaders create space in the workplaces - physical spaces where they lead and for the people in their charge, but like Jimmy Buffett's oeuvre, they create that space in one's psyche, both in and out of the workplace, that they (and their families) are valued, included, and invested in.
Thank you Jimmy Buffett for creating that enduring space for me and for so many others. He made it easy. All we need to do is close our eyes, smile and just like that, we have our toes in the sand, a beer in our hand and a "Cheeseburger in Paradise."
Go create space for your people today.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell