#Musicalmotivation: From lyrics to leadership

For those of you who haven't had the (dis)pleasure of meeting me ... basically any song that isn't written by Nickelback can bring me to tears in a matter of seconds. Why am I sharing this very deep and embarrassing piece of personal information?

First off, it's because I want to publicly state that I despise Nickelback and the long-stringy-haired horse they rode in on.

And slightly more importantly, it's because I want to explore the power of lyrics and how they can make us better leaders. There is something about taking a string of words and tackling it with a melody that can really move you. I've never been a fan of spoken word or slam poetry, but the second that an acoustic guitar shows up to the party, I'm hooked.

I've been known to pull the car over on busy streets and toss on my four-ways because I'm crying too hard to keep myself and other motorists safe, all because of a country song.

To honour the theme of this post, I am going to (attempt) to keep my narrative short and focus on powerful lyrics that can turn me into a human waterpark with just a few notes. Feel free to sing along ...

John Legend - If you're out there

Notable notes:
"We're the generation that can't afford to wait, the future started yesterday and we're already late."
"If you're ready we can shake the world. Believe again, it starts within."
"We don't have to wait for destiny, we should be the change that we want to see."

If that doesn't make you forget to shoulder-check and accidentally cut someone off in a weepy fit, nothing will... and I'm sorry to alarm you, but your heart is made of tin. It's amazing what a few words can do. Here's one more, just because I'm dragging ass this morning and am in definite need of some melodic motivation ...

Rascal Flatts - Stand

Notable notes:
"When push comes to shove you taste what your made of."
"On your knees, you look up, decide you've had enough ... you get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off, then you stand."
"Every time you get up and get back in the race, one more small piece of you starts to fall into place."

Doesn't that make you want to jump up from your cubicle, have a good cry in your car and then go change the world? I've got goosebumps just thinking about it.

Many different things can motivate us in a plethora of ways. We just have to let them work their magic. Whenever you can, take a step back and pay attention to what's going on around you. Thank the stranger who held the door for you, dance and sing to a great song that comes on in the grocery store, give out high fives and hugs like its your last day with arms. Always remember that the smallest drop has the power to make the biggest splash, it just might need a little help. Look at, listen to and feel the music of the world around you... there's no better motivation than that.

I would like to leave you with a lyric from Great Big Sea's "Ordinary Day" that is so simple in its beauty and it always picks me up when I need it most ... "I've got a smile on my face and I've got four walls around me."

Tears, the Olympics and believing in each other.

Since every conversation that I've had in the last two weeks has been about how crappy Canada is at the Summer Olympics, I figured it was time to be a bit more positive ... although Dora the Explorer could probably dig up more medals than we have won so far. (Sorry, last one...)

And then, like she had read my mind, an old staff member sent me the following video in a sick attempt to make me weep uncontrollably at my desk ... she succeeded, but she ALSO got me thinking about how wonderful the human spirit is and how much we can learn when we don't win.

So, without further ado, I wish your tear ducts the best of luck ... here it is:

What can we learn from this incredible man and his ADORABLE father with great fashion sense? Well, where should I start? First, you should hug your foot today if you haven't yet. Secondly, there is nothing more powerful than the human spirit. But, more importantly, there is nothing more powerful than belief. Now, I am not talking about believing in Santa Claus ... although I am still mad at my parents for gorging on all of the macadamia nut cookies that we WASTED on an imaginary man who clearly did not need any more dessert ... I am talking about believing in each other. Derek was determined to finish the race although he had a TORN HAMSTRING - which, by the way, is comparable to the pain experienced by the dude played by James Franco in 127 Hours (shudder) - but, this determination was turned into success by his father's belief.

We cannot get through this life alone, that's for sure ... but we also cannot get through this life if we don't believe in each other. It is one thing to surround yourself with people who make you laugh, dance and sing, but it is another thing to make meaning with these people. Share yourself, support the people that you love, show them that you will be there to pick them up when life tears their hamstring and knocks them down.

So, today, my challenge for all of us is not about leadership in the traditional sense. My challenge is about meaningful interactions. Instead of walking by a friend and saying "How are you?" .. "Good, you?" and not even listening to the answer ... stop, ask a REAL question and listen, you will be surprised by the outcome. Instead of sitting on a friend's couch and talking about Chris' latest shenanigans in Bachelor Pad, talk about family, regrets, love and heartbreak.

Go out today and care about yourself, the people that you love, and the power of believing in it all. Because, after all of the material things, shiny medals and national anthems fade away ... all we have is each other.

Beating the heat and riding the wave

Dear Mother Nature,

You've made your point. Global Warming is a real thing, we get it. But quite literally, you need to COOL IT. From those of us who suffer from hyper-hydrosis, please ... so we can maintain some shred of dignity at work.

Love,

Kathryn "Even typing is making me sweat" Christie

Until she gets my message, I figured I would toss out a quick post with some fun ideas to beat the heat, leadership style. As I alluded to above, our province is currently the temperature of the sun and we could all use some motivation to get out of bed in the morning and put any type of clothing on our body, let alone willingly walk out the door into an oversized sauna.

1. Network: In Canada, everyone is oddly obsessed with talking about the weather... the heat wave is a perfect in to begin a conversation with someone in line at Tim Horton's or hanging out by the office fridge. "How 'bout this heat wave?" BAM, you're in.

2. Appreciate your followers: If you are in a leadership position, this is the perfect opportunity to show your staff how much you love them at a very low cost. Bring a box of popsicles (I suggest Space Pops for the best pay off) into work and walk around the office handing them out to your crew - not only will you have the opportunity to chat informally with them, but they will also love you for the rest of the day because you made their mouth feel like the Arctic Circle.

3. Make a game out of it: With your crew, start a competition to build morale and boost motivation. My favourites include:

- An email thread titled "I would rather" where people write in what they would rather be doing instead of standing outside in the heat wave. For example, I would rather eat an entire bicycle in one sitting than stand outside right now.
- A competition to see who can guess the exact temperature - bring a thermometer into work, place it outside and then elicit guesses. Whoever gets it right on the money gets, you guessed it, an extra Space Pop. JACKPOT.
- A competition to see who can create an apparatus out of office supplies that will keep an ice cube from melting outside. Pair people up and give them 15 minutes to create their masterpiece and then place them outside and see who's ice cube outlasts the others.

4. Theme it up: Hot weather is the best excuse to do ridiculous things in the office because you always have a perfect excuse that no one can dispute. Have a theme day (nudists? Just kidding ... not that there's anything wrong with it ...) where everyone can dress in something that is much more comfortable than a suit and enjoy themselves in style.

All in all, everyone hates heat waves. We are sweaty, irritable and just can't get comfortable. So put on your leadership bikini and try to ride the wave and build some office spirit... it just might make your pit stains that are flirting with your belt loops a bit more bearable.

"No one has ever drowned in sweat" - Lou Holtz

Got any fun ideas? Post them in the comments section below!