Leadershipbydesign
News From LBD
 September 2009 Vol 1 Issue 7
FEATURE STORY- A Study In Perception
 
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.  Three minutes went by when a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace, stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
 
The one who paid the most attention was a three year old boy. His mother hurried him along, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
 
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only six people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk, their normal pace. He collected a grand total of $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
 
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston, and the seats averaged $100.
 
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be, if we do not take a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Do you stop to appreciate the beauty of your work or family?

 
What Leaders are Reading

Law of Attraction by Michael Losier -

This self-help book offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step inspirational program that leads readers through the process of figuring out what they want, why they don't have it yet, and what they need to do to get it and the life they've always desired.

The Bible, Psalm 3 - Advice for world leaders.

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LEADERSHIP TIP
OF THE MONTH

Business leaders today are tempted to cut costs such as investing in leadership development, particularly at the executive level. However, such development can bring about a positive impact on an organization. This is a time when good leadership is particularly needed.

Have you considered cost effective executive coaching? Coaches work one-on-one with company leaders to develop success metrics, polish leadership styles, and help with difficult organizational decisions. Newly hired or newly promoted staff leaders can also benefit from coaching. The coach can help them clarify new expectations from their staff as well as their boss, build peer and cross functional relationships and teams, and assess what has worked in the past that can be integrated into the new environment.


Not all coaches are executive coaches.  Contact LBD to learn more about quality executive coaching.
 
John Branstad
John Branstad

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Who you are speaks so loudly, I can barely hear what you are saying."

Emerson
John Branstad
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