Britney Spears on Leadership
I woke up at midnight and I wrote down this post. Maybe that’s the reason it’s weird?
Leadership lessons from Britney Spears songs:
“Crazy”
Chorus:
Crazy, I just can’t sleep
I’m so excited, I’m in too deep
Crazy, But it feels alright
Every Day and Every Night
If you aren’t crazy about something you’re average.
Every successful leader has a passion that keeps them up, wakes them up and fuels their fire. When they follow it, they’re energized.
Do more things that energize you.
For example, go so far into customer service that others think you’re nuts. Innovate so persistently that normal irritates you. Execute so cleanly that delay drives you nuts. Serve others so profoundly you’re known for serving.
Greatness is achieved by going “crazy” for something.
“Baby, One more Time” (Hit me one more time)
Every great purpose takes persistence to achieve. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas A. Edison
“Oops I did it again”
Stop waiting for permission to do good for your coworkers, clients, company, and community. It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission. Go do some good for someone today.
Perhaps a hit and run act of kindness?
“Don’t let me be the last to know”
Communicate, over communicate, and then communicate again. Drucker said, “Communication is not saying something, communication is being heard.” Communicate intent with content.
“What you see is what you get”
The moment others know you’re a faker is the moment you stop being a leader. Giving others a glimpse of your frailties creates strong connections and enhances your influence. Warning! Don’t be a whiner be a worker.
Application:
If someone asks why you’re humming Britney Spears tunes, tell them they’re leadership anthems.
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What song titles communicate important leadership truths?
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Thanks I needed this! It’s 4:30 am and I am feeling crazy…. Yahooo!!
Pat – I went to your website. Wow, you’re part of a cool ministry! Stay strong, my friend!
I’m with Scott, your care for the poor and homeless is fabulous.
Best, Dan
Hi Dan,
Well done for committing to the madness – often I have some excellent ideas in the middle of the night and it has taken me a long time to learn that the cold, hard light of day is not necessarily a friend of doing engaging or powerful work.
Interestingly I often talk myself out of the plans for kindness too, on the basis that it might make me look a bit stalkerish rather that because it’s too much effort. Am working on that one too!
Anyway – to answer your question… My vote would be for Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. Which always reminds me that it is very hard to get in the way of enthusiasts and people who are genuinely engaged by the work.
Music is so powerfully evocative that I have my i-pod fully charged with mood altering music, the anti-roadrage playlist for after a grumpy day, the pep-talk playlist for after a sad day and the gee-up play list for getting in the zone at the start of the day…
Hi Helen,
Thanks for your comment.
“Don’t Stop me Now!” I’m watching my own language and the language of others… and there is tons of fear based… STOP me now talk! It’s sad.
Lets fuel people’s fires rather than douse there enthusiasm.
Best,
Dan
Don’t know about some song titles that communicate important leadership truths, but here are a few probably NOT to associate with leadership:
*Hit Me With Your Best Shot
*You’ve Got A Friend
*Another One Bites The Dust
*Somewhere Over The Rainbow
*What’s Love Got TO Do With It?
Scott,
I’ll do my best to stay away from these ones… sounds like tomorrow’s post.
Best,
Dan
Scott is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. You can read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/scott-couchenour
Dear Dan,
A very informative post. There are some very powerful statements like “communication is being heard.” Communicate intent with content, and every great purpose takes persistence to achieve. It is true. Today people perceive communication as being efficient in language whereas communication is beyond that. Communication is about conveying message in the same way as sender understands and feels. Similarly great goal need greater effort and greater effort need persistance and perseverance. There is no short cut to great success.
The song titles that touch, sensitise and arouse inspiration communicate important leadership truth. Fake titles only thrill for sometimes but do not instigate inspiration. It is true that faker can not hide themselves for long time, sooner or later people will come to know the reality. Fakers may get early success but impossible to maintain the position, because content and quality will expose the fakers.
Dear Ajay,
As always, thanks for adding value.
One thing popped into my head while I was reading your comment. Communication is as much or more about “them” as it is about the messenger. Boy that’s easy to forget.
Cheers,
Dan
Ajay is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/ajay-gupt
I’ve just gained an appreciation for Britney thanks to you, Dan. My song choice in that vain would have to be “I’ll be there for you” by the Rembrandts. Leadership is about relationships.
Bingo… nice one Kieron. Cheers
Dan,
I have been blogging for six years but only wish I had some of your creativity and this post is but another example.
I used to get “flashes of brilliance” in the middle of the night (at least they felt like it at the time) and somehow in the light of day they didn’t seem quite so clever.
The good news was I didn’t have write them down and would still remember them in th morning. The bad news is now I have to write them down or they never see the light of day, good idea or bad.
To Scott’s list I might suggest adding: Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Ha! Bridge over troubled water. Nice!
Creed’s “Stand here with me”, those lyrics are great for leadership inspiration!
Wonderful Chris, thanks for adding to the convo. cheers, Dan
Love the inspiration! Like poems, songs communicate in ways that reach our emotions. We can hear their messages so much more clearly than with prose. Especially with a great interpreter like you!
Leadership song titles: “Stand by me.” “Thank You” (Led Zeppelin). “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” (Lou Reed)
Julia,
Now you’re cooking with those titles. “Talk a walk on the wild side” has real potential. 🙂
Best,
Dan
Dan –
What a creative way to share an important lesson. Small reminders and reinforcements are all around us to help us on our leadership journey if we just wake up and listen.
Oh, and to answer your question – I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles). Leadership does not have to be a solo quest. We all need a a little Help.
All the best,
Joan
Joan,
Thanks for consistently offering encouragement and insight. I really appreciate it. I respect you and your work.
LOVE the Beatles song… what a great reminder!
Best,
Dan
Wow, Dan, this is definitely a first as far as a blog theme! You did a good job with the weird sleep mania that seems to have affected so many people I know after the recent time change.
As far as a song title that communicates an important leadership truth, I’ll take it a bit retro and go with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Leaders walk a fine line between assuring followers that they have support but giving them the freedom and independence to learn and grow. Another LF theme that parallels parenting – as I sat with my 6th grader last night and forced him to write down the numerous assignments he has failed to do this nine weeks, in order to get caught up, I needed to convey that he is loved and supported BUT in the long run only he can be responsible for all the missed work and the consequences.
To quote another Britney song, it’s all a “Circus” sometimes.
Hi Paula,
Always love your stories.
You and Joan hit on the friendship/relationship side of leadership from different angles. cool
Circus…hmmm so true.
Thanks for adding value to the community.
Best,
Dan
Paula is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. YOu can read her bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/paula-kiger
Waaay TMI here today! Okay, will jump in the deep end too.
To keep with the B.S theme 😉 Sweat
And from those dinos o’ progressive rock, YES titles. (all great tunes by the way)
No Opportunity Needed, No Experience Necessary (very Copelandesque)
Fragile
Something’s Coming
Close to the Edge
I’ve Seen All Good People
Your Move
And You and I
It Can Happen
Endless Dream
No Way We Can Lose
New State of Mind
Shock to the System
Changes
Face to Face
Wonderous Stories
Open Your Eyes
The Calling
Ritual Nous Sommes du Soleil
Shoot High, Aim Low
State of Play
Yours is No Disgrace
Tempus Fugit
The More We Live/Let Go
and
Perpetual Change
Doc,
When I hit publish on this post, I thought of you. I know you are into music. I had no idea you were into B.S. 😉
Always a joy!
Best,
Dan
Doc is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. You can read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/doc
Hey Doc, not sure about jumping into the deep end. I always thought there was where I would find you. 🙂 I will get these songs from Itune and discover your “neurotic castle of music!” Cheers, Al
Two songs:
cold as ice – Foriegner
More than a feeling – Boston
Enjoy 🙂
Interesting combo Jim. Thanks! Dan
Dan, you sure know a lot of Britney Spears! I don’t even recognize some of those songs. 🙂 Great takeaway–thanks so much.
Jason,
To be honest I didn’t know all of them. Although I can hear a few bars of “Crazy” in my head. But I’m going to keep that on the down low.
Have a good one,
Dan
Dan,
I love this post.
Very creative!
I am picking a very odd song for mine: “Eleanor Rigsby” by the Beatles.
The song helps me recognize how many lonely people are in the world, including those that we may be leading. Therefore, our job is not only to lead a cadre of workers but also to breathe hope into individuals, some of which may be very lonely.
I LOVE Eleanor Rigsby. Love the tune and the lyric! Thanks for thinking of it.
So true: Breathe hope into others. Like Napoleon said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.”
Hey Dan super fantastic post! Midnight huh? Well full moon, “The Wolf Man” man could he play some songs. (Disc Jockey from the Big Apple). as far as a song one of my favorites “Hey Jude” by the Beatles, a lot of leadership qualities both real and if you read between the beats. BTW, you can check with Doc but there are still timeshares left in the castle in the sky and getting up at 12AM and writing this “crazy” post certainly qualifies you as a diehard “Neurotic”, welcome, 🙂 Al
One man’s neurosis or ‘crazy’ is someone else’s visionary or wise shaman.
And semi-seriously, at the end of a fun thread, a comment on how casually we all seem to use crazy or nuts in everyday language. However, a person with mental wellness/illness challenges might perceive that such language minimizes and lacks sensitivity. If you want to shift the light here, substitute in ‘diabetic’ or ‘cancer’ or ‘cancerous’ for the crazy or nuts words.
At the same time, it is always good to ask, why be normal?
Hey Doc, leave it to you to make me go soul searching with your comment and obligate myself to ask ” what is normal and who decides that?” Salaam, Al
Al,
Love the Wolfe man reference. I can still his odd voice in my head.
All the Beatles references make me think I should have chose the Beatles rather than Britney Spears. Britney just seemed so frivolous and fun.
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better…
Good stuff,
Dan
Hey Dan, no apologies regarding Britney, she is awesome; you are just so more younger and “hip” than the rest of us! 🙂 AD
Forget the songs a random act of kindness does wonders for all I try for at least one act of kindness per day amazing how smiles work! 🙂
I’m crazy for an act of kindnes sfor you!/
crazy for all the smiles you do! LOL
Hey Tim,
Love it… and I had no idea you were so gifted!
Thanks for an encouraging word…
Cheers,
Dan
Dan,
I love your blog post today! A great message delivered in a fun, creative way. The song that comes to my mind is Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop”. Leader’s must walk and talk their vision.
Jennifer,
You are very kind… thank you.
“Don’t Stop” rocks… nice..
Best,
Dan
“Love the Way You Lie” — Eminem & Rhianna
Hi dan, I’m tommy from indonesia, wow I like it very much, britney’s song make my mind open.
By the way, my inspiration song came from Celine Dion, the power of dreams.
I always listen if I’m feeling down
Thank you
I must say that me singing or whistling in the corridors of the workplace is sometimes frowned upon. My standard answer is:
” Wo man singt, da lass dich ruhig nieder; böse Menschen haben keine Lieder” (Where someone sings, there you can sit down and relax, evil men have no songs (German proverb attributed to Goethe, but the original is from 18th century writer Johann Gottfried Seume).
Singing may at times become a managementtool, as it may relieve tension at though times. You may carefully choose a song like:
You’ve Got A Friend (James Taylor)
What a wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
O what a beautiful morning (from Oklahoma)
I’m singing in the rain (Gene Kelly’ version)
I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)
But basically it doesn’t matter at all what you sing, as long as you sing. My special tip: http://bit.ly/gnCd0R Una paloma Blanca.
It’s interesting what thoughts come when we’re supposed to be sleeping! My song titles: “Riding The Storm Out” (because leadership causes angst among some groups) and “Taking Care Of Business” (because leaders know this is the reason why we do what we do).
Leading is not fluffy. A leader first needs passion. That’s only the beginning. Then he and she need implementation. That’s still not it. He and she need a trusted enabler. That’s still not it. They need resolve, humility, courage, and real staying power. That’s probably still not it! A leader has no finish line. He and she have to wake up and prove themselves every day anew.
I had a tough day yesterday with a certain topic and when I started my drive home The Zac Brown Band told me something that really helped: Chorus from the song Let It Go:
You keep your heart above your head and your eyes wide open
So this world can’t find a way to leave you cold
And know you’re not the only ship out on the ocean
Save your strength for things that you can change
Forgive the ones you can’t
You gotta let ’em go
This is actually loaded with many different messages for a leader. Instead of stating what I think they all are I’d like to hear from others on this chorus. I will offer up the part that really helped me yesterday which is the last 3 lines. As a leader some things are out of your control and it is important to help focus on the change you can make, hopefully for the better.
Hi Rob,
Sounds like “save your strength means choose to fight battles and engage in projects with high potential for success.
You might save your best for the high potential challenge.
Just thinking out loud.
Best,
Dan
Was going to say that annoying song Friday but that’s going too far
Thanks Mike. I’m reading your comment on Saturday anyway.. :-). As if that has anything to do with it. Cheers, Dan
There is inspiration in places we least expect it!