Stretch but don’t break — and watch Nanette

“A leader is someone others choose to follow” ~ (me)

People follow leaders who are “keepers of the vision” and who create and maintain a space where people feel inspired and also stretched to be their best to be part of achieving that vision.

What if, however, a leader stretches things too far? It is always a risk, and should you stretch too far, the container, the space, can be broken and you can lose your audience.

So, who can leaders learn from who do this masterfully? Who stretch but don’t break that bond with their audience, their followers ?

Yes, many business, political, societal leaders. Who else? Actors and Comedians.

Two examples, one recent, one even more recent.

First, a reminder of a movement that continues to quietly build, and one I wrote about twice earlier this year.

I was absolutely inspired by Emma Gonzalez, the student from Parkland, Florida, who became the unspoken leader or a gun control movement. She gave incredible speeches first right after the massacre (video in post: “Unthinkable, unforeseeable leadership”), then at the March for our Lives (video in post: “Emma, the world is changed by your example..”). Watch her speeches, masterful and moving.

One thing that I learned about Emma and some of her compadres from Parkland is that they are trained in drama, and their public speaking certainly reflects that.